


Every New Beginning Comes From Another Beginning's End

by remuslives23



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M, Who does that?, forgot i wrote it, just found it, old fic, reel torchwood, reworking of Pretty Woman, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-20 19:07:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18998707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remuslives23/pseuds/remuslives23
Summary: Two lonely men meet over one pissed off Weevil and end up saving each other twice.





	Every New Beginning Comes From Another Beginning's End

**Author's Note:**

> Written for reel_torchwood so many years ago as a reboot of the film 'Pretty Woman'.
> 
> Disclaimer: This fiction is based on characters and situations created and owned by Russell T Davies and BBC, and Touchstone Pictures. No money is being made and no offense is intended. Characters are of legal age for sexual situations. Title paraphrased from ‘Closing Time’ by Semisonic.

 

 

Ianto Jones yawned as he finger-combed gel through his wavy hair. His pale skin appeared almost translucent in the mirror, a consequence of spending his days in bed. Ianto pulled on a tight black t-shirt, the hem barely reaching the waist of his low-slung jeans. The dark get-up emphasised his light skin tone and made him look thin and fragile – it was a look the punters loved, he’d discovered early in his new career. Threading his studded, leather belt into the loops of his jeans, he cinched it tight then frowned. He’d lost more weight.

As if on cue, his stomach growled. Ianto didn’t bother checking the cupboards; there was nothing but stale bread in there, and he’d eaten the last of the leftover pizza as a makeshift breakfast when he’d come home early this morning. He pawed through the array of cosmetics littered across the dresser until he found his dark eyeliner. Carefully, he applied it to his lower lids, almost poking himself in the eye when he heard the loud voice of his landlord out in the hall.

He threw the eye liner down and checked the ice cream container in the freezer for the rent money he kept there in an attempt to foil anyone who broke in. Unfortunately, his flat mate, Sid, still knew where the stash was and had apparently helped himself since Ianto last added to it.

‘Damn it, Sid,’ Ianto cursed, slamming the freezer door.

His head snapped around when the booming demands for rent came closer to his front door. Swearing under his breath at his absent friend, Ianto hastily finished his preparations and snatched up his battered leather jacket, checking that there were ample condoms and lube in the pocket, then moved across the room to the window. It opened with a wince-inducing screech of wood on wood and Ianto swung his leg over the sill. There was a rusty ladder attached to the side of the three-story brick building and Ianto climbed down, swearing when he lost his footing on a loose rung. He jogged down the alley — away from the front of the building — his already sour mood deteriorating fast as he prayed for a good night so he could keep the roach-infested roof over his head.

0o0

Jack Harkness stifled a yawn and surreptitiously checked his watch. He’d only been at the party for an hour but was already bored stiff. He automatically shot a flirtatious smile at a passing waiter, but his heart wasn’t in it.

Jack sipped his iced water, glancing around the milling crowd of government hierarchy. There had been talk of an amalgamation of Torchwood and UNIT — for convenience’s sake — and he wasn’t happy about the thought of losing the autonomy he’d fought so hard for at Torchwood Three. This week’s conferences were to vote on the proposal and Jack was hoping to get as many influential people on side as possible.

‘Harkness! I wondered if you’d show up.’

The first genuine smile of the evening spread across Jack’s face at the sound of the mild Scottish brogue and he held out his hand in welcome to Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. ‘Alistair,’ he said fondly, shaking the other man’s hand warmly. ‘Good to see you.’

‘And you, Jack,’ Alistair replied, giving Jack’s hand a squeeze before releasing it. They both looked out over the throng. ‘You’ve heard the rumours?’

‘Mm,’ Jack hummed. ‘I’m going to fight it, Alistair.’

‘I knew you would.’

‘Are you with me?’

‘Of course. UNIT is different now to when I was there. Corruption is rife and we need an autonomous agency like Torchwood to keep us honest.’

Jack sighed. ‘It’s two against an army, Al.’

Alistair smiled at him. ‘Ah, but we have a secret weapon,’ he said with a wink. ‘Don’t tell me you’re doubting the Harkness charm.’

Jack chuckled, taking another sip of his drink. ‘I hope that doesn’t hinder negotiations,’ he joked, and Alistair laughed.

‘If anyone can stop this, you can, Jack,’ he said then clapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder and lowered his voice. ‘He’d be proud of what you’ve achieved at Torchwood.’

Jack snorted softly, but a flush of pride coloured his cheeks. He’d found the Doctor at Canary Wharf after searching for him for so long, and they’d mourned the loss of Rose Tyler together. He’d finally received the answers about his immortality that he’d been waiting for and, although they weren’t the ones he was hoping for, he had found some peace now.

His mobile phone rang and he was startled out of his contemplation. With a murmured apology to Alistair, he moved towards a small alcove off the conference room as he answered the call.

‘Gwen, what…?’ he began but was interrupted by a frantic string of mixed pleas and expletives. He managed to grasp the fact that Rhys Williams — Gwen’s husband — had been involved in an accident and Gwen was going to need some time off.

Jack closed his eyes. He needed Gwen with him to act as his aide at the meetings over the next week. It was also protocol to have a partner attend various dinners and Gwen was the closest thing Jack could provide — Toshiko and Owen had flat out refused, and Suzie… well, Suzie wasn’t the ingratiating kind. ‘Gwen, I’m sorry, but is there any way-?’

He winced as her cry of indignation rang out over the line then sighed. ‘Look, Gwen, I know he needs you, but this is kind of important as well.’

He listened for another minute and realised that he didn’t have the energy — or inclination, if he was honest — to shift her. ‘Fine,’ he said wearily. ‘Gwen! I said fine. Give Rhys my love and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.’

Jack hung up before she could say anything more and dropped the phone back into his pocket. He rubbed at his eyes, suddenly exhausted and overwhelmed and feeling like the room was closing in on him. He had to get out of here – fast – before he said or did something (or someone) he’d wind up regretting.

Jack stepped back into the larger room, searching for a familiar face. ‘Mickey,’ he said, catching the arm of a fellow former companion as he walked past.

Mickey’s face lit up in a wide smile and he clasped Jack’s hand in his own. ‘Hey, Captain Cheesecake,’ he said with a wink. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘Mickey Mouse,’ Jack said, slinging a companionable arm around Mickey’s shoulders. ‘I need a favour.’

‘Yeah?’ Mickey said, eyeing Jack’s shark-like grin with trepidation.

‘Yeah,’ Jack said, guiding Mickey towards the exit. ‘Did you happen to drive here tonight?’

0o0

Ianto pushed his way through the throng that had gathered at the mouth of a shadowy alley. He saw a familiar face — a blond PC, Andy Davidson, who had always treated the rent boys like human beings instead of trash — ushering people away from the body of a scantily clad young woman sprawled out on the pavement. Ianto eyeballed the body but he didn’t recognise her. He quickly slipped away. He didn’t need to get distracted tonight. He had to make rent.

As he stepped inside Company, he caught sight of Sid McNally. He owed the man a lot – Sid had been the one to show him the ropes when he first starting working – but right now, Ianto would happily strangle him for nicking their rent money to feed his latest addiction — cocaine. Sid inclined his head in greeting then sauntered towards a skinny man in his forties who was waiting nervously by the toilet door. After a short discussion, Sid followed the man inside, turning to wink at Ianto.

Ianto looked around the nearly empty pub, his hopes for a good night fading fast.

‘Slow tonight, gorgeous,’ the bartender confirmed in a hushed voice as Ianto approached. ‘The cops hanging around up the road have scared everyone away.’

‘Great,’ Ianto muttered, scowling as he accepted his usual pint of lager. He propped his chin in his hands and closed his eyes, trying not to think about what his life had become.

It had been twelve months ago that he’d lost everything. Torchwood One – his former workplace – had burned, and Ianto had lost his job, his friends, and the girl he’d thought might have been ‘The One’… Everything he held dear gone in one single day.

He’d fallen into his current profession by accident. It wasn’t an unusual story, he’d since learned: met a guy in a bar in London, shagged same guy in the loo, and was too pissed to say no when said guy stuffed a fifty into the pocket of his jeans. When he sobered up, Ianto had been horrified but, when the eviction notice arrived for the posh London flat he could no longer afford, he swallowed his pride, moved into a share flat back home in Cardiff, and started haunting the places his father had always warned him away from. It was only temporary, he’d told himself. It was easy money; he was trying to fuck Canary Wharf out of his head anyway, why not get paid for doing it? But, a year later, his temporary fix had turned into something more permanent as he struggled to find his feet again.

It wasn’t so bad as jobs went. At least he didn’t need to get stoned first anymore.

Ianto finished his drink and sighed heavily as he glanced over the bar once again. There were no single men in sight; the customers were congregating in groups which usually meant that they weren’t looking to pull or pay. Ianto huffed in exasperation and muttered a goodbye to the bartender, stuffing his hands in his coat pocket as he left the bar.

He stood on the side walk at the front of the building as he lit a cigarette, hoping the temptation of his legs in tight jeans would be enough to draw in some punters, but fifteen minutes later, he still had no bites. He watched the rainbow coloured lights in the window of a club across the street flicker until the Old Bill up the road began to give him sideways glances. Ianto took one last drag on the cigarette and tossed his butt into the gutter, deciding he’d try to catch a willing punter coming out of one of the busy Cardiff Bay bars instead.

0o0

Jack crunched the gears of Mickey’s surprisingly sleek and classy car, wincing at the clunking that accompanied the gear change. ‘This clutch is so damn small,’ he muttered as the car bunny-hopped for a few meters before it caught.

He eased up on the accelerator as he hit traffic and clicked his tongue impatiently. He checked out the fronts of the buildings as he cruised slowly past a brightly coloured bar with fairy lights flashing in the window. It caught his eye and Jack grinned, remembering good times he’d had in that club. Maybe he would come back for a drink when this UNIT business was sorted.

Then he saw it – a lone Weevil loping towards a deserted alley.

Adrenaline coursed through him. A good Weevil hunt was just what he needed after a night of standing around making nice with stuffy politicians and pencil pushers who didn’t even have the decency to be the least bit attractive. A predatory smile spreading across his face, Jack spun the wheel of the sports car, turning with screeching wheels in the middle of the street. A cacophony of blaring horns followed him as he raced off in the same direction as the Weevil was headed.

0o0

Ianto stubbed out his fourth cigarette against a lamp post then pushed off the brick wall that had been propping him up for the last hour. This was hopeless. It had been a long shot – these clubs didn’t draw the kind of trade that usually sought out rent boys – but it had been worth a try. Ianto ran a hand through his hair in agitation. He couldn’t avoid the landlord forever and he needed to eat. He eyed a nearby bin and grimaced. He hadn’t reached the stage of rummaging through bins for a meal yet.

But he feared he wasn’t too far off.

‘Faggot,’ muttered a bloke about Ianto’s age as he walked past, arm in arm with his girlfriend. The girlfriend shot Ianto a contemptuous look over her shoulder and Ianto gave her the finger, smirking when her mouth dropped open in shock. He turned and walked quickly away from the club; he had no desire to get into a pissing match with some Neanderthal homophobe defending his prude of a girlfriend tonight.

He was approaching Roald Dahl Plas when he heard a vehicle approaching at speed. Hastily, he stepped into the darkened doorway of the closest closed store. Cop cars frequented this area on weekends and he really didn’t feel up to answering a whole heap of questions from suspicious constables. He just wanted to go back to Company so he could kill Sid McNally.

Slowly and painfully.

But it wasn’t the police. As Ianto watched, a sleek silver car ignored the ‘No Parking’ signs and drove right up onto the Plas, pulling up alongside the water tower. Curious, Ianto edged his way closer for a better look, his interest piqued even further when a good-looking guy in an old-fashioned military coat leapt out of the driver’s seat. He was standing in the shadows at the edge of the Plas now, watching as the man lifted the boot of the car.

Ianto took a step back in fright as a menacing growl reached his ears then a figure jumped out of the boot. He had a brief flash of a ridged brow and sharp teeth before long arms lashed out. Ianto’s cry of ‘Watch out!’ was too late; deadly looking claws caught the military man in the throat and the hunched escapee took advantage of his captor’s distraction to launch an attack.

As the pair rolled around on the paved ground, Ianto acted on instinct. Surprising even himself, he ran toward the car and, keeping one eye on the fray, frantically searched through the open boot for a weapon.

0o0

Jack heard someone cry out a warning at the exact moment he became aware the Weevil was no longer unconscious. Pain flared with vicious glee as claws gouged a chunk out of his throat and he cursed himself for going light on the Weevil spray. Before he could wrangle the spray out of his pocket, the Weevil rammed into him, knocking him to the ground. The impact and the sudden stab of agony through his right shoulder stole the air from his lungs.

He managed to get his hands up, foiling the growling Weevil’s second grab for his throat. They rolled across the paving stones, coming to rest in the gutter near the invisible lift. Strong jaws snapped shut just short of Jack’s arm, the Weevil’s face so close now that Jack could almost taste every putrid breath. Then, suddenly, the low rumbling growl turned into a yelp of pain and the Weevil was dragged off him.

Light from the lamps circling the Plas blinded him for several seconds but, as he staggered to his feet, the scene before him came into focus. A young dark-haired man with a tyre iron in his hand was facing off against the Weevil. Jack swore under his breath and fumbled for the Weevil spray. Just as his fingers closed around the canister, the Weevil made its move, leaping across the space between them and knocking the young man into a nearby bin. The tyre iron fell from his hand and the resultant clang rang out across the deserted Plas.

Jack felt a wave of anger and he lunged at the Weevil, catching it off guard and managing to pin it to the ground. He sprayed it directly in the face, holding it down until it stopped struggling. With a sigh of relief, Jack tugged a hessian bag from his pocket and slid it over the Weevil’s head, hoping the young man hadn’t gotten a good look at it. Unsteadily, he rose and went to check on the other man only to see him already staggering to his feet. Jack used the few seconds while the other man steadied himself to have a good look at his savior.

He looked even younger than Jack had initially thought, his butter-wouldn’t-melt face juxtaposing the thick eyeliner ringing his blue eyes and the glitter of lip gloss on his lush-looking lips. His hair curled around his pale face and – Jack noted as his eyes ran appreciatively down his lean, swimmer’s body — he had the most incredible arse Jack had seen encased in denim for a long time.

‘Are you alright?’

Jack blinked, his gaze jerking up to the man’s face. ‘Sorry?’

The other man smirked – a filthy, knowing smirk that did obscene things to Jack’s body – and sauntered towards Jack. ‘I said, are you alright?’ The smile dropped as a crease appeared between his blue eyes. ‘Hey, you’re bleeding.’

He reached out to touch Jack’s neck. Jack stepped back, but not before Ianto saw his unmarked skin. ‘You were bleeding,’ he said slowly, the crease deepening.

‘I’ve had worse shaving,’ Jack said before using concern for the man’s health as a reason to ogle him once again. ‘How about you? That was a rough landing.’

The man grinned. ‘I’ve had worse Saturday nights.’ He looked down, curiosity and confusion flashing across his face when he saw the sack over the Weevil’s head. ‘You should be more careful about the company you keep.’

Jack grinned at the other man’s interest in the Weevil, impressed that he’d managed to stop himself from asking the obvious question. ‘I’ll definitely keep that in mind,’ he said vaguely, giving the man a casual salute. ‘Thanks for your help.’

He bent, his back and right shoulder aching from his own hard landing, and tried to haul the Weevil’s dead weight up onto his shoulder. ‘Damn it,’ he muttered, as he struggled to lift the creature. He couldn’t get it over either shoulder without spasms of pain shooting through him like jolts of electricity so, with another curse, he let it drop to the ground.

Instinctively, he put his hand to his ear to call the others for help before remembering he’d told them to take an early mark if it was as quiet as predicted. Jack ran a hand through his hair, wincing as his shoulder ached.

‘Need a hand with your mate?’

His eyes flicked back to the other man who was now leaning against Mickey’s car and watching him with wry amusement. Jack glared a little at him then considered his options. He couldn’t risk waiting the hour or so for his back to heal to get the Weevil in a cell – anyone could wander by now the clubs were winding down for the night — and, if he put it back in the car, he risked the spray wearing off and the Weevil turning Mickey’s boot into a mess of ribboned metal. Of course he could wake Owen or Suzie and get them to come in and assist him in getting the creature into a cell before it came around but it was likely that Suzie or Owen would push Jack in after the Weevil and leave them to get to know each other overnight as revenge.

Or, the devil on his shoulder whispered, he could let this cute bloke help him carry the Weevil to the invisible lift and down into the Hub. He could answer the inevitable questions then retcon him and send him home. Jack gave the other man another appraising glance. On the other hand, he really was hot. Perhaps this night wouldn’t be a total loss, after all.

He gave the man one of his best Captain Jack smiles and nodded. ‘If you don’t mind.’

‘I’d love to give you a helping hand,’ the man said with a sweet smile. ‘For five quid.’

Jack blinked in surprise. The opportunistic little bastard. ‘You’re kidding?’

The young man shrugged. ‘Price just went up to ten.’

‘You can’t do that!’ Jack cried, part-outraged and part-impressed by the man’s audacity.

An expressive eyebrow was raised in response to his outburst. ‘I can do whatever I like, gorgeous. I’m not the one who needs help.’

With that, he turned his back on Jack, crossing his arms on the roof of the car and gazing nonchalantly at the water tower. Jack was once again presented with that nicely-shaped arse and he groaning, knowing that the other man had won.

He sighed and reached into his pocket. ‘Fine,’ he said resignedly.

The man whirled around and grinned before trotting towards Jack. As he reached him, Jack held out a note. ‘I’ve only got a twenty…’

The man snatched it off him and shoved it into his jacket pocket. ‘For twenty, I’ll throw in a hand job.’

Caught unawares once again, Jack started. This kid was a rent boy? Well, that explained the get up but Christ, he was young.

When Jack hesitated, the man pursed his lips and asked, ‘Do you have a problem with my profession?’

Jack shrugged. Sex was sex and this suited him down to the ground tonight. Paid sex was simple. No complications, no emotions, no messy next morning walk of shame. Just physical satisfaction; exactly what he needed to be ready for the coming battle with UNIT. ‘No,’ he said with a wink. ‘None at all.’

The man rolled his eyes and grasped the Weevil’s ankles. ‘You take the pointy end.’

Together, they maneuvered the Weevil onto the invisible lift, his helper giving him an odd look until the lift began to move.

‘What the fuck?’

Jack chuckled and swept his free arm expansively to indicate the entire Hub. ‘Incredible, isn’t it?’

‘Uh… It’s… Yeah, it is.’

Jack glanced at him over the Weevil’s drooping head. There was a strange look on the other man’s face, as if he was trying to remember something. Jack studied him carefully. Had he already come in contact with Torchwood and been retconned?

‘So what’s your name?’ he asked, looking for something that might trigger his own memory, although how he’d forgotten that arse…

The man shot him a practiced leer. ‘What do you want it to be?’

Jack glared pointedly and the man clicked his tongue in annoyance. ‘Ianto,’ he said reluctantly. ‘What’s yours?’

‘Jack,’ he replied, smiling while racking his brain for any glint of familiarity. ‘Nice to meet you.’

Ianto made a low sound of amusement then returned his gaze to the approaching ground. ‘Is this where you work?’

Jack nodded in acknowledgement before turning the employment question back on Ianto. ‘Did you have a busy night?’

Ianto shrugged a shoulder. ‘Slow,’ he said then he slanted a sideways glance at Jack. ‘But at least the scenery has improved now.’

Jack smirked then asked curiously, ‘How much do you boys make these days anyway?’

‘One hundred.’

‘One hundred for a night?’

‘An hour. That gets you your choice of any combination of straight anal, oral, or hand. Anything kinky is extra and at my discretion,’ Ianto replied in a bored tone of one who could rattle that speech off in his sleep.

‘That’s stiff,’ Jack murmured as the lift came to a halt. He was about to step off when a hand slid over his crotch.

‘Not yet,’ Ianto said with a lewd smile. ‘But it’s got potential.’

Jack barked out a laugh and Ianto grinned, removing his hand and using it to wave Jack ahead of him. ‘Lead on, Jack.’

They got the Weevil settled in a cell, Jack watching Ianto out of the corner of his eye the whole time. He still had that odd expression on his face of trying to put things together, but he was biting his tongue. Jack was impressed by his self-control and couldn’t help wondering if that discipline extended to the bedroom. He drifted into a fantasy about making Ianto lose that stoic façade, about making him scream and beg and writhe beneath him as he fucked him slow and deep. His cock, already enthusiastically anticipating action after Ianto’s thorough groping earlier, hardened as his imagination conjured images of pale skin, a wet, red mouth, and a pert arse.

Ianto caught him looking and tilted his head in query. Jack gestured to the stairs. ‘Let’s go back up,’ he said, letting Ianto lead and losing himself once again in his fantasies about what lay beneath that faded denim.

Once they reached the upper level, Jack took Ianto by the elbow and led him up to the darkened main Hub, intending on taking him up on that offer of a hand job. But, as the glow from Toshiko’s computer flickered over Ianto’s features, a flutter of concern brought him to a halt.

‘How old are you?’ he burst out. He wasn’t particularly fussy about age usually, but there was young then there was jail bait and this wasn’t a good time for him to be banged up for inadvertently corrupting a minor.

Ianto looked startled by the question. ‘I don’t get asked that very often,’ he said with a laugh. ‘Most blokes don’t care. I’m legal by a fair bit, if that’s what you’re concerned about. I’m twenty-four.’

Jack didn’t bother to hide his surprise. ‘You look younger.’

‘Helps draw in the punters,’ Ianto smirked. ‘So, where do you want this to happen?’

Jack hesitated then asked, ‘One hundred for an hour, you said?’

A mercenary smile spread across Ianto’s face and he cocked his hip. ‘Yep,’ he said, popping the ‘p’. ‘But look at what you’re getting for your buck.’

Jack took him up on the invitation, shamelessly raking his gaze from Ianto’s baby face down his lanky body to his leather-booted toes and back again. His cock throbbed at the thought of that long, tight body beneath him and, suddenly, one hour didn’t seem like long enough.

‘How much for the whole night?’ he asked recklessly. It had been a while since he’d been with a man and he realised he’d missed the feel of an angular body against his, the musky flavour of a man’s skin. He wanted to take his time exploring the pale skin beneath the sinfully tight clothing, to indulge himself with a warm, willing body.

And he didn’t want to be alone. Not tonight.

Ianto looked thoughtful. ‘Three hundred pounds,’ he said brashly.

‘Done,’ Jack replied cheerily, grinning when Ianto’s eyes widened. He crooked his arm, holding it out for Ianto to take. ‘Shall we?’

‘Money up front,’ Ianto warned, warily sliding his hand over Jack’s arm. ‘I don’t do pain or bondage without an agreed upon safe word, I won’t kiss on the mouth no matter how much you pay me, and condoms are non-negotiable.’

‘No kissing?’ Jack asked, slightly dismayed. He liked kissing.

Ianto shrugged but his eyes were steely determined. ‘If that’s a problem…’

‘No, I understand,’ Jack said quickly then he frowned. ‘Do you have to check with anyone about this? A – er…’

‘Pimp?’ Ianto said bluntly. ‘No. I don’t belong to anyone. Not anymore.’

Jack was puzzled by the clouded eyes, the melancholy in Ianto’s voice then the other man seemed to shake off his sorrow, shooting an almost believable grin at Jack.

‘Alright then,’ he said, squaring his shoulders, his eyes falling to Jack’s crotch. ‘Where do we do this?’

Anticipation stole the questions from his mind and he reached for Ianto’s hand. ‘Right this way.’

***

Ianto left Jack flicking through the messages he’d picked up from his desk and wandered through the office, trying not to look to awestruck by the weird and wonderful objects scattered around. He didn’t know why this place was scratching at all kinds of shadowed memories in his head but, as the recollection remained frustratingly out of reach, he ignored the little whisper that told him that Jack was trouble.

‘Hey,’ Jack called, and Ianto turned around. Jack inclined his head towards an open manhole cover. ‘Down there.’

Ianto hesitated. He was already uneasy, he still hadn’t been paid, and now he was supposed to crawl down into some kind of secret bunker?

Jack seemed to pick up on his indecision. ‘My bedroom’s down there,’ he told Ianto, dropping his message slips on his desk before handing Ianto a wad of twenty pound notes from a drawer. ‘Count it. I don’t mind,’ he said, lowering himself to sit on the edge of the hole, dangling his legs down into the darkness.

‘You sleep at work?’ Ianto asked as he quickly checked the cash. When he was sure it was correct, he tucked it into his boot.

Jack shrugged. ‘It’s easier to sleep on premises in this job.’ He smiled at Ianto then disappeared down the manhole.

Ianto sighed but he’d been paid now so he followed, feet quickly finding the iron ladder. He stepped off the bottom rung and found himself in the middle of a bedroom.

It was dark and tiny but still managed to be cosy and very personal with photographs, books, and odd knick-knacks scattered on every flat surface. ‘This is comfy,’ he said with a grin, and Jack chuckled.

‘I know,’ he said then let out a surprised oomph! as Ianto grabbed his hand and pulled him down onto the single-sized cot.

Ianto straddled him in one swift movement that left Jack wide-eyed and staring at him with more than a little lust. He licked his lips, watching Jack’s eyes followed the motion, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a variety of foil-wrapped condoms.

‘Buyer’s choice,’ he said, fanning out the packets and waving them in front of Jack’s face. ‘I’ve got regular, I’ve got extra tough, I’ve got flavoured, I’ve got glow-in-the-dark…’

Jack’s hand covered the condoms and he smiled up at Ianto. ‘We have all night,’ he said, tapping Ianto on the thigh. Ianto took the hint and shifted, falling to the bed beside Jack, who stood and wandered towards an ornately carved cupboard in the corner. ‘Drink?’

Ianto inwardly sighed and nodded. Hell, was he expected to provide conversation as well? There were phone services that catered to that kind of thing, weren’t there? He tucked the condoms back into his pocket and toed off his boots and socks, taking care to hide his money right down into the toe. If he wasn’t going to be shagging anytime soon, he may as well get comfortable.

When Jack returned with two glasses, he’d removed his shoes and socks as well, his braces — and who on earth wore braces anymore — hanging at his sides and shirt unbuttoned to reveal a white t-shirt beneath. Ianto unashamedly checked him out as he walked across the room.

‘At least he’s fit,’ he thought as he took the tumbler gratefully.

Jack sat back down beside him and raised his glass to his lips, taking a generous gulp. Ianto sipped his own slowly, the scotch sliding smoothly down his throat. Expensive, he noted.

‘So, Jack,’ he said, rolling the man’s name around on his tongue. ‘How was your day?’

‘Boring,’ Jack replied, raising his own glass to his lips. He sipped the amber liquid then, with a sigh, sank back against the plush cushions. ‘I wish the business part of my job was already over, but I’m going to be stuck schmoozing with military pricks all week. I’m not looking forward to it. Particularly as a colleague who was supposed to come with me let me down today.’

‘You’re military yourself, aren’t you?’ Ianto asked, giving Jack’s coat an appreciative glance. ‘That’s an RAF coat, yeah?’

Jack nodded. ‘I’ve been a civilian for a long time now, though,’ Jack replied, taking another mouthful of scotch.

‘And what do you do now?’ Ianto asked, unable to hold the question in any longer. ‘You’ve got some well weird shit lying around.’

Jack glanced at Ianto. ‘Would you believe me if I told you I monitor a rift that runs through time and space and protect the Earth from alien threats?’

Ianto stiffened as that niggling feeling in the back of his mind and a dormant memory of an almost forgotten conversation coalesced. Rift? Alien threats? Jack… as in Captain Jack Harkness, Leader of Torchwood Three and general pain in Torchwood One’s arse? The same Jack Harkness who had stood back and done nothing while Ianto’s friends, while Lisa burned?

‘Fuck,’ Ianto cursed, draining his drink in one deep swallow. Kicking himself for not putting it all together earlier, Ianto put the glass down on the floor and shoved his hand into the toe of his shoes, pulling out the cash Jack had handed him earlier.

‘Here,’ he said, tossing the money down on the mattress. ‘Take your money back. I’m not interested in having anything to do with anyone from Torchwood.’ He stood and scooped up his boots. ‘Have a nice night, Captain.’

He’d barely gotten a foot onto the ladder before a hand caught his elbow. ‘Hey! Hey, Ianto, wait!’

Ianto jerked away as if Jack’s hand had burned him. ‘I’m sure you can find someone else to keep you company tonight,’ Ianto snapped. ‘I’ve several friends who I’m sure wouldn’t mind taking my place.’

‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ Jack demanded, exhaling sharply in frustration as Ianto tried to climb the ladder again. He reached up and pulled him down, managing to get between it and Ianto this time. ‘How do you know who I am?’

‘Everyone at One knew who you were, Captain Jack Harkness. I can’t believe it took me so long to put all of it together,’ Ianto snarled, gritting his teeth when Jack’s mouth dropped open in shock. ‘Yeah, I’m one of the bastards who deserved everything they got. I believe that’s a direct quote.’

Anger surpassed Jack’s shock and he narrowed his eyes at Ianto. ‘You lot were messing with something you couldn’t possibly…’

‘No,’ Ianto yelled, shoving Jack’s in the chest, sending him reeling back against the ladder. ‘Hartman was. I was a fucking archivist’s assistant! My girlfriend worked in HR! We knew nothing about the bloody Ghost Shifts and there were more of us who disagreed with what she was doing than supported it but what were we supposed to do? The only way out of Torchwood was Retcon or a bullet.’

He scowled at Jack, who was watching with a stony expression. ‘And where were you, Captain Fucking Harkness? Swanning around Cardiff in your great flappy coat telling everyone how evil we in London were but doing sweet fuck all to actually help!’

‘I told her…’ Jack was fuming, Ianto’s accusation obviously hitting the right buttons. ‘I tried to stop her…’

‘Just like many from One did, with just as much success, I expect. Did you know that anyone who crossed her happened to disappear in strange circumstances soon after?’ Ianto snapped, watching as much of Jack’s fury was extinguished by his words. Oh, yes. This was a man who knew exactly how ruthless Yvonne Hartman could be.

‘And when you finally did come, you didn’t even try to help the survivors,’ Ianto said bitterly, recalling the sour-faced man who’d treated those left alive with such disdain, the hard-looking woman who had sneered at Ianto with disgust. ‘You were only interested in getting your hands on the tech. My girlfriend was killed, my friends were killed, I lost my job, my flat. I was left with nothing except my memories. I saw things…’

His anger began to dissolve as a wail of grief stuck in his throat. Ianto closed his eyes briefly, cutting off the rest of the world so he could regain control, so he wouldn’t break down in front of the man who had turned his back on him once already. ‘What am I supposed to do with those memories, Jack?’ he whispered, his voice raspy with suppressed sorrow. ‘I don’t want to forget them, but I don’t want those memories.’

Jack exhaled heavily, raking a hand through his hair. ‘I lost people in the battle as well, Ianto. Friends, colleagues…’ His face softened as he visibly deflated. ‘But you’re right. I should have done more for those left behind. I just couldn’t see past my own anger.’

He hesitated, frowning at Ianto, who was taken aback by the frank admission. ‘How did you go from Torchwood to this? Sex for money?’

Ianto glared at him and repeated pointedly, ‘I told you. I. Had. Nothing. Left. I had to eat, to pay rent, and it was a bit hard to get a job reference from my dead boss.’

Jack winced. ‘Yeah, I guess it is. That was a stupid thing to say. I should have done something. I should have…’ He closed his eyes briefly then looked at Ianto. ‘I’m sorry.’

The last remnants of Ianto’s anger towards this man wilted and he slumped in defeat. ‘I… I’ve spent a long time cursing your name and dreaming of forcing an apology from your lips,’ he muttered, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. ‘Imagine my disappointment that you aren’t quite the prick I thought you would be and that I didn’t get the satisfaction of planting my fist in your face.’

Jack leaned back against the ladder. ‘I’d offer you the chance to do so now, but I’ve had a shit of a day and I’d rather not deal with a broken nose.’

Ianto snorted then shook his head. ‘The romantic mood has kind of been broken now, I guess.’

‘You don’t have to leave,’ Jack said quickly, looking slightly panicked by the suggestion.

Ianto tipped his head, gazing quizzically at Jack. ‘Are you sure? You’re not worried about me deciding I need to break your nose after all?’

‘I’ll heal. Look, it’s up to you but I’d like you to stay.’ He shrugged and said, with a hint of humour, ‘I’ve already paid you anyway so…’

Ianto didn’t answer Jack immediately. Not because he was considering Jack’s proposition – he already knew he would stay — but because he was dumbstruck to realise that money wasn’t his primary reason for not wanting to leave. Jack was very good looking and Ianto was only human.

‘Fine, I’ll stay,’ he said brusquely. He waved a hand towards the bed. ‘Give me my money back then.’

Jack laughed and picked up the scattered bills, handing them back to Ianto. ‘Ianto who?’ he asked on a whim as Ianto folded the bills.

‘Jones,’ Ianto told him, tucking the money back into his shoe. ‘Ianto Jones.’

Jack smiled. ‘Well, would you like another drink, Ianto Jones?’ he asked before a phone rang in the office above. He shot a look of irritation over his shoulder then gestured towards the corner cupboard. ‘I have to get that call. Make yourself at home.’

Ianto watched him climb the ladder, his gaze falling to Jack’s arse before he realised what he was doing and turned away. He poured himself another drink and then, as Jack still hadn’t returned, he began to search for a television set.

0o0

It was over half an hour before Jack returned, climbing down the ladder with a weariness that had him contemplating sending Ianto away, after all. His long conversation with Alastair Lethbridge-Stewart had made his growing concerns about the fate of Torchwood bloom into full-blown dread. The former UNIT commander had given Jack the heads up that, at the end of the week’s conferences, a vote would be taken in regards to the proposed amalgamation of the two agencies. Torchwood could be extinct by this time Friday.

When his foot hit the floor, Jack became aware of the sound of tinny voices. He turned and saw that Ianto had discovered his DVD collection, the other man now chuckling at an ‘I Love Lucy’ skit, having made himself comfortable on a pile of pillows on the floor. He didn’t seem to be aware of Jack’s presence yet.

Jack sank down onto the bed, shuffling back to lean up against the wall. He closed his eyes, trying to relax, but his mind kept shifting back to the upcoming events. He’d have to give Gwen a call and see if there was any possible way she could leave Rhys and his concussion and broken leg for even a few hours a day. Maybe if he offered to pay for a top nurse to stay with him during the time he needed her…

Who was he kidding? There was no way Gwen would leave Rhys’ side right now and he would only give himself a headache listening to her tirade about how she was doing exactly as he always told her – not letting her relationship drift. And she’d be right. But he needed someone with him, someone observant, someone clever, someone who could ingratiate themselves with the UNIT staff and tease out little bits of information without UNIT being aware of what they were doing.

Jack sighed, rubbing at his forehead in an attempt to ease the ache there. The bed dipped beside him and his eyes shot open in surprise. Ianto was kneeling beside him, gazing at him with a knowing expression that made Jack’s stomach do a slow flip. He tried to smile at him but what came out must have looked more like a grimace because Ianto’s hand reached out, fingers tracing his lips gently.

Jack’s breath caught in his chest and a corner of Ianto’s mouth turned up. His finger slid over Jack’s chin, lingering in the dimple there before continuing its journey, stopping at the first secured button of Jack’s shirt.

‘You’re wearing too many clothes,’ Ianto murmured, swinging his leg over Jack’s thighs as his fingers deftly unfastened his remaining buttons, mouth brushing teasingly over Jack’s jaw.

Jack turned his head, his mouth seeking Ianto’s but, before he could taste his lips, Ianto pulled back. He shook his head at Jack, who was confused for a moment before he remembered Ianto’s rules. Annoyance bit at him. He wanted to lose himself in someone, he wanted to feel tongue and teeth and lips.

As if he’d verbalized the thought, Ianto lowered his head, nipping lightly along Jack’s jawline before sucking the skin beneath Jack’s ear into his mouth. With a hiss of pleasure, Jack’s eyes fluttered shut and his irritation dissipated. He tipped his head back as Ianto’s mouth pressed wet kisses down the curve of his neck, pushing Jack’s undershirt aside to bite down on the place where neck and shoulder joined. Jack moaned and reached for Ianto’s shirt, tugging it up and over his head then raised his arms so Ianto could do the same to him.

He instinctively went for Ianto’s mouth again before pulling himself up and changing direction, instead, planting a sucking kiss at the base of Ianto’s throat. Ianto rocked forward with a groan, his groin colliding with Jack’s and Jack could feel the other man’s arousal. His own cock strained at his zipper, pressing uncomfortably against its restraints. Again, Ianto read his body’s silent pleas, dragging his lips down Jack’s sternum before sliding onto his knees beside the bed. His eyes caught Jack’s as he mouthed along the ridge of his erection through his trousers, lips closing around the head, teeth grazing over the tip. His tongue worked over the head, making Jack tremble in anticipation, and the material was soaked with saliva and pre-come by the time he pulled away.

Ianto tore open a condom wrapper and slipped the latex sheath into his mouth before opening Jack’s trousers. Jack’s cock eagerly springing from its confines and Ianto hummed his approval. Then, eyes still holding Jack’s, lowered his head and circled the crown with delicate flicks of his tongue.

‘Oh, God,’ Jack groaned, burying his fingers in Ianto’s curls and bucking his hips. ‘Please, Ianto!’

Ianto smirked up at him then slowly slid his mouth down Jack’s shaft, skillfully unrolling the condom over the thick length. Jack cried out wordlessly and let his head fall back against the brick wall as Ianto’s talented tongue quickly took him right over the edge.

***

‘Better?’

Jack’s eyes opened and he smiled up at Ianto. ‘Yeah,’ he murmured. ‘Thanks.’

Ianto sat down on the edge of the bed, a cigarette between his lips, and held out a glass of whiskey. ‘That’s what you’re paying me for,’ he said, watching with a little smile of pride as Jack struggled to coax his spent body into a sitting position. His blowjobs werepretty damn spectacular.

Jack took the offered drink and sipped at it gratefully. ‘I needed that.’

‘The blowjob or the drink?’

Jack chuckled. ‘Both?’

Ianto stretched out his legs and leaned back, flicking the ash from his cigarette into an empty glass he’d appropriated. ‘You seemed tense when you finished that phone call,’ he said mildly, watching as a tendril of smoke snaked towards the ceiling. ‘Is everything alright?’

Jack worried his lip and Ianto could see him debating with himself. Ianto didn’t blame him for his hesitancy. Ianto was a civilian now, after all, and had been part of the branch of Torchwood that Jack had done his best to distance himself from. He waited patiently, sensing this was something Jack wanted to talk about but wasn’t sure if Ianto was the right person with whom to unburden himself.

Finally, Jack came to a decision. ‘Did you have much to do with UNIT at One?’ he asked, and Ianto’s brow furrowed.

‘No,’ he said, shaking his head as he lifted the cigarette to his mouth. ‘Archivist’s assistant, remember? And I’d only been there six months before… it all happened so I’d never really worked with other agencies. Hell, I barely knew you lot existed.’

‘Well,’ said Jack, putting his empty glass on the side table. ‘I am supposed to attend meetings all week with their hierarchy to talk about the pros and cons of amalgamating Torchwood and UNIT into one agency.’

Ianto nodded thoughtfully. ‘The charters are very similar, I suppose,’ he murmured. ‘It was probably only a matter of time before this was considered.’

‘Torchwood is nothing like UNIT!’ Jack said hotly, his face hardening.

‘I didn’t say that,’ Ianto said, putting a hand on Jack’s knee. ‘I just said that you both have similar basic goals – to protect the Earth from alien threats. That doesn’t mean your methods are the same.’

‘They aren’t,’ Jack insisted, and Ianto was gob-smacked to see a childish pout on the face of Torchwood’s leader.

Stifling a laugh, Ianto stubbed out his cigarette then pushed at Jack’s shoulders until the other man got the hint and laid down on the narrow bed. ‘You need to relax if you’re going to be fit for facing off with all those stuffed shirts tomorrow,’ Ianto told him, hooking his fingers under the waist of Jack’s open trousers and yanking them, and his underwear, down. ‘I can help with that.’

Once Jack was naked, Ianto took a long moment to admire the man’s picture perfect body before he unbuckled his own belt. His mouth went a little dry as Jack stretched and his muscles rippled beneath his skin. He rarely got much pleasure from his work, the punters concerned about their whore’s comfort were few and far between, but being with Jack didn’t feel like such a chore. It was becoming more difficult to remember that he was here to work. He wasn’t used to staying after the job was done. He wasn’t used to conversing with his customers. He wasn’t used to being attracted to a client.

Ianto shimmied his jeans down his legs, kicking them out of the way. He trailed his fingers lightly along Jack’s thigh, enjoying the feel of the smooth skin and tensing muscles. This was another thing he didn’t often get to enjoy – the sheer tactile pleasure of touching another person, of slow caresses to bare skin instead of hurried fucks with only the essential clothing pushed aside.

‘What do you want?’ he asked softly, lifting his eyes to Jack’s.

‘Fuck me,’ whispered Jack, his eyes pleading. Ianto’s breathing hastened at the desperation in Jack’s voice. ‘I need to not be in charge for a while.’

Ianto felt a jolt of protectiveness jag through him. Knocked off balance by the sudden compassion for a man he thought he’d despised until a few hours ago, Ianto pushed all emotion away and concentrated on the job at hand. ‘I can help with that too,’ he murmured, dipping his head to press his lips to Jack’s flat stomach.

0o0

Ianto had fallen asleep after Jack’s third orgasm (and Ianto’s second) but Jack had remained awake, enjoying the warmth of another body in his bed. It had been too long since he’d spent the entire night with a bed partner and he was astonished to realise how much he’d missed the companionship.

Carefully, so as not to jostle Ianto too much, he rolled onto his side then pushed himself up, leaning on an elbow as he gazed at Ianto as he slept. The other man’s eyeliner and lip gloss had been washed away some time in between orgasm one and two last night so Jack was finally seeing the real Ianto Jones. And he was beautiful, not to mention talented. The young man had proven himself quite intuitive last night, predicting many of Jack’s needs without Jack having to ask. It could be that he was just good at his job but, as he’d been recruited by Torchwood One, Jack wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that Ianto was a mild empath.

Jack sighed quietly at the reminder of Ianto’s past. His anger at Yvonne and his grief at knowing he was never going to see Rose Tyler again had coloured his opinion of all One employees, and he’d taken his frustration out on those who were left, blaming them and turning his back on their plight. He had known he was wrong for a long time – his guilt at the way he’d behaved after the battle was a constant refrain he managed to ignore most days – but this was the first time he’d admitted it to anyone that mattered. To a survivor.

He carded his fingers gently through Ianto’s mussed hair, reconsidering his previous decision to retcon Ianto in the morning. He was an intelligent man; he had to be expecting it, and it seemed monstrous to take even more from a man who’d already lost everything.

It had nothing to do with the fact he kind of liked the man.

Jack let his lips brush over Ianto’s shoulder. Last night had been worth every single pound. Ianto was an inventive lover, capable of drawing every last drop of pleasure from an encounter. Jack doubted he’d had much call for his skills of late, though. Men didn’t tend to pay for the kind of sex they’d had last night. They paid for quick, fumbled fucking in the dark. It was a shame that those skills were wasted on the unappreciative.

His mouth travelled over Ianto’s skin, skimming over his shoulder blade until he reached Ianto’s spine. He kissed the knobbly protrusion at his nape, and then shoved the sheet covering Ianto away. He licked a broad stripe down the corrugated column of Ianto’s backbone, pausing to lavish attention on the dip at the base of his spine. Ianto shifted beneath him, a soft moan spurring Jack on, his mouth dipping lower and lower until he was lapping at Ianto’s entrance.

‘Holy shit!’ came the muffled cry and Ianto’s hips bucked. ‘Jack!’

Jack smiled then set about using his tongue and fingers to bring Ianto to a fast, intense orgasm, his own following shortly after as Ianto almost savagely impaled himself on Jack’s cock. They lay together after, panting heavily and covered in a light sheen of sweat.

‘Wow,’ Ianto breathed, grinning up at the roof. ‘That was…’

‘Pretty damn amazing,’ Jack finished, smiling widely as he turned to look at Ianto.

‘Yeah,’ Ianto agreed. He glanced at Jack, his cheeks flushing. ‘That was the first time… No one has ever…’

‘Rimmed you?’ Jack supplied, and Ianto’s cheeks flared with colour. Jack brushed the back of a finger over the warm flesh. ‘You’ve been missing out.’

Ianto snorted. ‘It appears so.’

A noise from Jack’s office made them both start and Jack pushed himself up with a groan. He checked the time and sighed in disappointment. ‘That must be Suzie,’ he murmured, reluctantly dragging himself out of bed. ‘She told me she’d be in early to catch me before the meetings began.’

Ianto stretched, raising his arms above his head and arching his back. ‘I should go then,’ he yawned, angling his hips with deliberation when he became aware of Jack watching him. ‘Get the money to my landlord before he throws all my stuff out onto the street.’

Jack laughed quietly then held out a hand to help Ianto up. ‘Well, thank you, Ianto Jones, for a fantastic time,’ he said, smiling as he pulled Ianto to his feet.

‘All in a night’s work,’ Ianto said smugly. He ran a hand over his chest then grimaced. ‘Do you mind if I use your shower before I go?’

Jack shook his head. ‘It’s all yours,’ he said, bending to snatch up his trousers and pull them on. He yanked his shirt on over his head then made his way up the ladder to his office.

‘Morning, Jack,’ Suzie said, briefly looking up from the file she was reading. ‘Good night?’

‘Mm,’ Jack hummed non-committally. ‘Anything on the radar for today?’

‘No,’ she said, shutting the file with a muted snap. ‘It’s clear for the week. UNIT did their homework.’

Jack sat on the edge of his desk, facing her. ‘I got a call from a friend last night,’ he told her. ‘He informed me that there will definitely be a vote about joining UNIT and Torchwood at the end of this week.’

Suzie’s face hardened and she launched herself to her feet. ‘You can’t let them do this, Jack!’ she raged. ‘They’ll tear apart all our hard work and…’

‘I know, I know,’ Jack said, holding up his hands placatingly. Suzie had been more adamantly opposed to the amalgamation than him when it was first suggested and, he had to admit, he was shocked by her vehemence. ‘I’m not letting this happen. Not without one hell of a fight. Just… keep things together here for me and let me handle this.’

‘Make sure you do, Jack,’ she scowled, spinning on her heel and striding towards the door. She stopped in the entrance and looked back at him over her shoulder. ‘Do you need me to go to the dinner meetings with you now Gwen’s playing the attentive wife? I’m sure Owen and Toshiko could handle anything that cropped up here.’

‘No,’ he said, certain that Suzie’s unrestrained anger about the proposal would only make matters worse. ‘It’s fine. I need you here more.’

She frowned and Jack recognised her stubborn expression. She wasn’t going to let this go easily. ‘It’s protocol to bring a partner…’ she began then her mouth snapped shut as singing drifted out of Jack’s open manhole.

”You just leave it all up to meeee and we can have a good time.”

Jack bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, and Suzie blinked, puzzled. ‘Who is that?’

‘That…’ began Jack, planning on telling her he picked Ianto up at a club before having a sudden epiphany. ‘That is my date for the dinner meetings.’

0o0

Jack leaned against the wall opposite his private bathroom, grinning as he listened to Ianto singing as he dressed.

”You got to not talk dirty, baby, if you want to impress me.”

This was an insane idea. If anyone ever found out that Jack Harkness had brought a rent boy to the UNIT/Torchwood conferences he’d never be taken seriously again. On the other hand, he needed someone by his side. And Ianto… Ianto could be useful. He was intuitive, smart, and funny. He used to work at One so he already had security clearance, he was previously an archivist so he’d be detail orientated and perhaps able to recall minutia that Jack overlooked, and, as much as he despised Yvonne, she really did only hire the best and brightest.

”I want to be your fantasy and, maybe, baby, you could be mine.”

The more he thought about it, the more Jack warmed to the idea. It solved all his problems: he gained a dinner companion, a co-conspirator, and no-strings stress relief at night. Now he just had to find out how much it would cost to buy Ianto’s company for the week.

The bathroom door flew open and Ianto stepped out, rubbing his hair with a towel. ‘You just leave it all up to meeee… oh!’

A broad grin flashed across Jack’s face. ‘Don’t stop on my account,’ he said cheerfully, crossing his arms over his chest. ‘I was enjoying it. Tom Jones version, yeah? Very patriotic.’

‘Shut up,’ Ianto muttered, flinging the towel at Jack, who caught it deftly and threw it over a nearby stool as Ianto picked up his shoes. ‘I’m going to be out of here in just a minute.’

Jack pushed off the wall. ‘Actually, I have a business proposition for you.’

Ianto spun around, disconcerted. ‘What?’

‘I’d like you to spend the week with me,’ Jack explained, barging through Ianto’s bewilderment. ‘I have dinner meetings, conferences, interviews all week. I’m expected to bring a date to the dinners and, occasionally, a secretary to the meetings and, like I mentioned last night, my colleague let me down. So, I would like to hire you as an employee, to be my… beck and call guy.’

Ianto dazed expression slowly morphed into perplexity as Jack spoke. An articulate eyebrow rose at Jack’s final words and reluctant amusement flittered across Ianto’s face. ‘Look, much as I’d love to be your “beck and call guy”, you’ve got other employees you can take. Plus you’re a good-looking bloke. You could get a million people to do this for free.’

‘I don’t need any romantic hassles this week and, even though the Rift looks like it’s taking a break, the others really need to be here.’

Ianto studied Jack closely then shrugged a shoulder. ‘If you’re talking about me being on call twenty-four hours a day, it’s going to cost you.’

Jack grinned. He enjoyed this kind of negotiation. ‘Okay. Give me a ballpark figure. How much?’

Ianto’s teeth scraped over his lower lip. ‘Four thousand.’

‘You charged three hundred for last night,’ Jack reminded him. ‘Three hundred times six nights is eighteen hundred pounds.’

‘You want days too,’ retorted Ianto.

‘Two thousand,’ offered Jack

‘Three thousand,’ countered Ianto.

Jack clapped his hands together. ‘Done.’

Ianto’s eyes widened. ‘You… I…’

Jack laughed. ‘Is that a yes?’

Ianto took a deep breath, gathered himself, then nodded. ‘That’s a yes.’

‘Good.’ Jack crooked his finger, indicating Ianto should follow him then climbed the ladder. Ianto pulled his shoes on and, when he emerged, Jack was already counting out some cash. ‘I should be fine on my own today,’ he said, tapping the bundle of cash on the desk to even it out. ‘But I’ll definitely need you tonight.’ He turned to Ianto and held out the cash. ‘I want you to buy some clothes.’

‘Have you heard of this thing called a bank, Jack?’ he asked as, a little awed by the amount, he took the money. ‘People keep their money there. You should look into it.’

Jack gave him a quelling look. ‘We’ll be going out evenings and you’ll need something to wear. Suits. Something tailored, maybe pinstripes, single-breasted.’

‘Do I get to keep it after?’

Jack chuckled and stepped closer, gripping Ianto’s hip. ‘Sure,’ he said, kissing Ianto on the cheek and surprising them both with the gesture. He looked startled as he stepped away. ‘Ah, meet me in the foyer of Saint David’s Hall at six o’clock tonight. Now, I need to shower and change. Say hello to Suzie on your way out.’

He was halfway down the ladder when Ianto called after him, ‘I would’ve stayed for two thousand, Jack.’

Jack’s head popped back out of the manhole and smiled a sweet smile that made Ianto melt a little inside. ‘I would’ve paid four.’

0o0

Ianto’s first stop was to give some money to his landlord directly, not trusting Sid not to run straight to his dealer with it. He bore the threats about breaking kneecaps next time the rent was late then he changed and headed for the expensive side of town.

He’d worn suits for work in London but they’d been cheap and not particularly good quality. Ianto figured Jack had given him enough money for a few really good suits so he may as well make the most of the opportunity to be decadent and wear some natural fibres next to his skin.

Burman’s was a store he’d often gazed longingly at in London so it was his first stop when he reached Central Cardiff. He smiled at the charcoal-grey pinstriped suit in the window and stepped inside.

0o0

Toshiko Sato’s head shot up as the bell over the door of the Tourist Office tinkled. A young man in faded jeans and a denim jacket entered, his shoulders hunched and his mouth set in a tight, grim line. He looked a little rough – unshaven, red-rimmed eyes – and Toshiko once again cursed Jack for insisting they take turns opening the information centre for a little while each day.

Well, that didn’t mean she had to actually help anyone, particularly someone she thought might be looking for a warm place to kip rather than information about Cardiff Castle.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said quickly before the man could open his mouth. ‘We’re closing early today.’

He frowned at her in confusion then understanding seemed to dawn. ‘You’re the other one,’ he said, voice rough. ‘Um, Toshiko?’

Her shoulders stiffened and her fingers twitched towards the gun under the counter. ‘What did you say your name was?’

He gave her a half-hearted smile. ‘I’m Ianto Jones,’ he told her, holding out his hand for her to shake. ‘I’m helping Captain Harkness out this week.’

Toshiko recalled Suzie telling her about the man singing in Jack’s shower this morning and how she’d admonished Jack for “robbing the cradle this time” after meeting Jones briefly as he left the Hub. She didn’t often see eye-to-eye with Suzie but she had to admit that Jack’s choice of bed partner and temporary secretary was baffling. This kid looked more like a rent boy than the assistant to the Head of Torchwood Three.

‘Ah, Suzie mentioned you were here this morning,’ Toshiko said out loud, taking the offered hand. ‘I didn’t know you were expected back, though.’

Jones seemed to fold in on himself. ‘I didn’t know how to get in contact with Jack,’ he said wearily. ‘I need to tell him I can’t meet him tonight.’

‘Er, well, he’s at the conference right now and he told us only to interrupt for emergencies…’ She worried her lip. Jones seemed to be more distressed than dangerous so she leaned against the counter and asked, ‘Can I help with anything?’

Jones gazed at her for a long moment then let out a shuddering breath. ‘I was supposed to get a suit for tonight but when I tried, they wouldn’t serve me.’

Toshiko stared at him in consternation. ‘They wouldn’t serve you? Couldn’t you pay?’

Jones reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick wad of twenties. ‘I have all of this,’ he said, shoving it towards Toshiko, ‘and no suit and I can’t go to a UNIT dinner dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.’

‘Alright,’ Toshiko said, instinctively putting her hand over Jones’ to calm him. ‘I think I can help resolve this. Just give me a few minutes. Would you like a drink? The coffee is pretty awful but it’s hot and strong.’

She ushered Jones around the desk, holding the beaded curtain aside as they went through to the private room out the back. She directed him to the coffee pot then logged on to Mainframe, accessing the list of their local contacts.

‘God, this is disgusting!’

Toshiko peered over her shoulder, amused at Jones’ reaction to Suzie’s coffee. ‘You’re welcome to give it a try,’ she told him, turning back to the monitor. ‘You couldn’t possibly do any worse.’

Ten minutes later, Toshiko was hanging up the phone and Jones was placing a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. ‘Thank you,’ she said, surprised by the kind gesture. She held the cup up to her nose and breathed in the delicious scent. ‘I hope it tastes as good as it smells.’

Jones simply smiled, watching her take a mouthful. ‘Oh, my God,’ she muttered, taking a longer drink. ‘This is wonderful.’

‘I worked as a barista when I left school,’ he said modestly. ‘Did you have any luck?’

Reminded of why Jones was here in the first place, Toshiko took another quick sip of her coffee then put it down. ‘I called the tailor Jack uses to repair his coat and he is sure he can be of help to you.’ She tore a page from the pad in front of her and handed it to Jones. ‘Here are his details.’

Jones smiled gratefully and folded the paper with care. ‘Thank you, Toshiko,’ he said warmly.

‘No problem,’ she said, reaching for her cup and toasting him with it. ‘You’ve more than repaid me. Good luck, Mr. Jones.’

‘Call me Ianto,’ he said before ducking out of the back room. ‘And thanks again.’

‘Good luck, Ianto,’ Toshiko called then she settled in with her coffee.

0o0

It was nearly half past six when Jack finally managed to extract himself from the overeager soldier acting as his assistant who’d been sticking close to him all day. Long strides carried him across the foyer, his eyes peeled for Ianto. He looked right past the other man at first, then felt the burn of eyes upon him and turned to see a familiar man detach himself from a barstool.

‘You’re late,’ Ianto admonished when he reached Jack’s side.

Jack’s mouth moved but nothing came out. He licked his dry lips and swallowed hard before trying again. ‘You’re stunning.’

And he was, the suit clinging to his tall frame in all the right places, broadening his shoulders and cinching his waist. The red silk shirt was heaven on him and the tie threatened to drive Jack to distraction, imagining the dark fabric braceleting Ianto’s pale wrists.

Ianto smiled, pleased but embarrassed by the compliment. ‘You’re forgiven,’ he said, ducking his head. ‘Look, Jack, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do tonight.’

Jack offered Ianto his arm then led him towards the elevator. ‘Just listen, really,’ he murmured. ‘Keep your eyes and ears open.’

‘For…?’

Jack nudged Ianto’s shoulder gently with his own. ‘I don’t know,’ he admitted with a quiet laugh. ‘But you’re a smart guy, Ianto. You’ll know what’s relevant and what isn’t.’

Ianto narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jack. The faint lines at the corners of his eyes were deeper than they’d been this morning, and a muscle in his jaw was clenched tight. ‘How did it go today?’ he asked, keeping his tone neutral.

Jack sighed. ‘As expected,’ he replied, leaning into Ianto a little. ‘I have very few allies here, Ianto.’

Ianto shot him a quick smile. ‘You’ve got me, for what it’s worth.’

A genuine smile lit Jack’s face and made him appear less tired. ‘It’s worth a lot.’

The lift’s doors opened and Ianto gazed out into the large room bustling with tuxedoed waiters and uniformed officers as far as the eye could see. ‘Fuck,’ he muttered, and Jack squeezed his hand.

‘You’ll be fine,’ he whispered as a red-capped soldier headed their way. ‘Just be yourself.’

‘Be myself,’ Ianto mumbled, straightening as the soldier reached them. ‘Right.’

‘Captain Harkness,’ the soldier said crisply, saluting Jack. He turned sharply to Ianto. ‘Sir.’

‘This is Mr. Jones, my associate,’ Jack said, watching in amusement as Ianto’s face turned pink at the attention.

‘Mr. Jones.’ The soldier nodded once in greeting then held out an arm. ‘May I show you to your seats, Sirs?’

‘Thank you,’ Jack said then he murmured over his shoulder to Ianto, ‘Let the games begin.’

0o0

Ianto frowned down at the unfamiliar food on his plate, ignoring the conversation buzzing around him as he poked at it with his fork. He looked over at Jack then leaned in to whisper, ‘Jack, what is this?’

Jack excused himself from his conversation with Colonel Karim and glanced at his plate. ‘It’s escargot,’ he murmured.

Ianto tried not to grimace. ‘Snails?’

Jack shrugged. ‘They aren’t that bad,’ he assured him. He picked up the odd looking tongs on the side of his plate and captured a snail. ‘Try it.’

He popped the tidbit into his mouth and Ianto had to look away. He took a deep breath then reached for his own tongs.

‘UNIT has changed from the days of old, Jack,’ Ianto heard as Colonel Karim picked up the threads of her interrupted conversation with Jack. ‘I think you’ll find we and Torchwood have similar philosophies these days.’

‘I’ll be sure to mention your opinion to my Head Technician,’ Jack said, coolly. ‘After her own experiences with UNIT just a few years ago, I doubt she’d agree with you.’

‘Our new Brigadier has put a stop to all that. Even Lethbridge-Stewart likes him.’

‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’

Ianto managed to get the tongs around the snail but it kept slipping away. Frustrated, he chased it around the plate.

‘Why don’t you come out to the UNIT base? You can inspect the entire facility to ease your concerns.’

‘So you’ve cleaned up one base,’ Jack said, dismissively. ‘What about the others?’

‘That’s why you should get on board now, Jack,’ Karim said earnestly. ‘Look, let’s be blunt here. You don’t have the numbers to stop this…’

‘Yet.’

‘… so why don’t you get in on the planning now so you can make certain everything is arranged to your satisfaction? No one wants to shut you out.’

‘No one, Tia?’ he said, doubtfully.

She smiled. ‘Well, no one who matters.’

Ianto almost let out a shout of triumph as he finally managed to get his snail to stay between the pincers. He was cautiously bringing it to his mouth when it slipped again, flying past Jack’s ear, past Colonel Karim’s startled face, and towards a waiter who, with remarkable reflexes, caught the flying gastropod.

Jack turned to a blushing Ianto, amusement making his eyes dance and lips twitch. Ianto smiled an apology then said ruefully, ‘Slippery little suckers.’

‘Happens all the time, sir,’ the waiter said reassuringly as he walked past.

0o0

After dessert, Ianto and Jack were separated, Jack excusing himself from a spirited debate about rugby between Ianto and several UNIT Technical Officers after catching sight of Erisa Magambo ordering a drink at the bar.

‘Erisa,’ he said with a brilliant smile. ‘Still looking delicious in that uniform.’

The Captain rolled her eyes. ‘My friend will have a scotch,’ she told the bartender before turning to smile at Jack. ‘Captain Harkness. Still pushing the boundaries of civilized behaviour, I see.’

He grinned and reached for the promptly delivered drink. ‘To your health,’ he said, lifting his glass in a casual toast.

She mirrored him and they both drank deeply. Captain Magambo finished first, cradling her glass between her palms as she canted her head at Jack. ‘How are you, sir?’

‘Erisa,’ he scolded. ‘Jack, please. And I’m pissed off. Torchwood can’t operate effectively under UNIT’s thumb.’

‘I don’t know what to tell you, Jack,’ she said sympathetically. ‘Not all of us want this but unfortunately, none of us have the power to stop it. If it’s any consolation, Brigadier James really does want this to be a partnership and not a takeover of Torchwood.’

Jack shook his head despairingly. Everyone he thought he might be able to count on was accepting the change instead of trying to fight it and it was a blow to his confidence. ‘Everything I’ve worked for, Erisa…’

‘It’s not being taken away from you, Jack,’ she said, putting her hand on his arm comfortingly. ‘You would have quite a bit of input into the day to day running of the organisation, and you’d still be leader of the field teams…’

‘But ultimately, I’d be accountable to UNIT, wouldn’t I?’ he asked, wanting to throw his glass across the room when she nodded.

‘I’m sorry, Jack, but please, think of this as a new start rather than the end,’ she pleaded.

Jack put his drink on the bar, hoping she hadn’t noticed the tremor in his hand. He could feel himself drifting, lost, his lifeboat having slipped from his grasp and he desperately searched the room for an anchor. And found one.

Ianto.

As if he’d heard Jack’s silent scream, Ianto’s eyes met his and he nodded. Jack inhaled, relieved, then turned to Erisa. ‘It’s time I left,’ he said, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. Ianto appeared at his side, and Jack smiled gratefully. ‘Good night, Erisa.’

‘Good night, Jack,’ she said. ‘Mr. Jones.’

He’d only taken a few steps when she called to him. ‘Jack.’ He paused and looked over his shoulder. ‘He’d be proud of what you’ve achieved, but he, more than anyone, knows that everything must evolve and change.’

Jack’s lips tightened into a thin line then he turned and strode towards the exit, Ianto following.

‘Jack, are you alright?’

‘No,’ Jack ground out, fake smile in place as he waved good night to familiar faces. ‘No, I’m not.’

0o0

Ianto sat in Jack’s desk chair, watching the other man pace a trench in the floor of his office. He’d been muttering to himself for twenty minutes now, getting more and more agitated, but Ianto continued to wait without speaking, sensing that Jack would reach out when he finally wanted to talk.

Ten minutes later, his patience paid off. ‘Why haven’t you said anything?’ Jack asked in irritation, spinning to glare at Ianto. ‘Don’t you have an opinion about all this after tonight?’

‘Are you asking for it?’ Ianto said calmly, and Jack almost growled as he threw himself into the chair opposite.

‘Yes.’

‘I think we both know this merger is inevitable, and I think you know that it’s probably the best thing to protect the Earth from threats,’ he said evenly, watching as Jack’s face paled. ‘And I think that your objections are not entirely based on professional differences with UNIT.’

Jack was stiff in his chair, tension radiating from every inch of his body.

Ianto leaned forward, clasping his hands together. ‘Why, Jack?’ he murmured. ‘Why are you really so opposed to this?’

Jack shook his head. ‘It’s not the right thing for Earth, that’s why,’ he said firmly. ‘I’m not letting myself get emotional about this. I can’t get emotional in my job, Ianto. There are always hard decisions to make and I can’t do that if I get sentimental or personally involved.’

‘I know what you mean,’ Ianto said. ‘You have to stay numb, not get involved. That’s why I say no kissing. It’s too intimate.’

Jack narrowed his eyes, a hard smile on his face. ‘You and me have a lot in common, Ianto,’ he said. ‘We’ve both screwed people for money.’

Ianto sat back in the chair, annoyed by how much the reminder of why he was here stung. Before he could stop himself, he asked, ‘Who is he? The one who would be proud of what you’ve achieved?’

Jack blinked then inhaled sharply. ‘Someone I used to travel with,’ he said, so softly Ianto could barely hear him. ‘Someone I’ve spent a long time trying to prove myself to.’

‘By creating something he’d be proud of? Torchwood, perhaps?’ Ianto queried gently.

Jack’s eyes closed and he didn’t answer. When it became clear he didn’t intend to, Ianto pushed himself to his feet, looking for a distraction. ‘Right, what do you want to do for the rest of the night? We could watch a DVD or… have you ever played naked hide and seek?’

His last suggestion got a reaction, Jack’s eyes snapping open as a reluctant smile played about the corners of his mouth. ‘As much fun as that sounds,’ he said, standing slowly. ‘I need a little time to think.’

He went to take his coat from the coat rack beside his desk but Ianto got there first, holding it up for Jack to slide his arms into. ‘Thanks,’ Jack whispered, leaning into Ianto’s lingering touch for a second. He turned and cupped Ianto’s cheek with one hand. ‘Why don’t you go to bed? I’m not sure what time I’ll be back. Don’t wait up for me.’

Ianto nodded and Jack pressed their brows together. ‘It helps, you know. Having you here.’

Ianto smiled and slid a hand around the back of Jack’s neck. ‘I’m glad,’ he murmured, letting Jack kiss him on the cheek before watching him almost run out of the Hub.

***

When Ianto awoke much later, the scratchy rhythm of music on an old-fashioned record player met his ears. He stretched and checked the time – one o’clock – then blindly searched the clothes-strewn floor for the boxer briefs he’d purchased with his suit the day before.

As he climbed the ladder, he heard Jack’s voice, the volume steadily getting louder and more agitated. By the time Ianto’s head emerged, Jack was stabbing his finger angrily in the air.

‘No, Suzie,’ he said curtly. ‘I said you needed to bring me your research before you took it further.’ He listened for a few seconds then cut in. ‘Then you wait until I am here. You don’t just decide to take matters into your own hands.’

He caught sight of Ianto as he pulled himself up into the dimly lit office and smiled before turning back to the phone. ‘I said, shut it down for now, Suzie. I won’t argue with you about this.’ He hung up the receiver and sighed as he sank back into the chair, rubbing his eyes. ‘She’s brilliant, but such hard work.’

‘Well, you sounded very masterful,’ Ianto teased gently. ‘Does everyone always do everything you tell them to do?’

Jack lowered his hands and gazed at Ianto, his blue eyes burning. Ianto felt his knees tremble and his cock firm as he was thoroughly scrutinized.

Jack canted his head and said quietly, ‘Come here.’

It wasn’t a request or a plea. It was a demand and from Jack’s tone, Ianto could tell he expected it to be obeyed. He stepped closer, sitting on the corner of Jack’s desk then slowly sliding along the edge until he was sitting in front of Jack.

‘I guess that answers my question,’ he whispered then he gasped as Jack stood and shoved him down onto the desk in one smooth motion.

A hand stroked over his throat, pressing lightly for a moment before falling away. Ianto couldn’t stop himself from arching up into the touch as Jack dragged a flattened hand in one long sweep from his throat to his knee. Jack dropped his head to Ianto’s sternum, his lips skimming over Ianto’s hair-sprinkled chest before closing around his nipple.

‘Fuck, Jack,’ Ianto breathed, sinking a hand into Jack’s hair, his leg coming up to hook around Jack’s hips.

After bringing both nipples to wet peaks, Jack pressed open-mouthed kisses over Ianto’s stomach, dipping his tongue into Ianto’s navel before the tip ran along the edge of his underwear. Ianto’s body bucked in frustration but Jack refused to be hurried, thoroughly dampening Ianto’s boxer briefs as he teased Ianto’s straining erection through the cotton.

Ianto sank his hand into Jack’s hair and gave the dark strands a tug. ‘Condom,’ he managed to choke out, and Jack lifted his head.

‘No, I want to taste you,’ he said, eyes burning hot with desire. ‘Believe me, Ianto. There is nothing you can give me or that I will pass on. Trust me.’

When Ianto hesitated, Jack rubbed his thumb along the thick vein that ran from tip to base of Ianto’s cock. ‘Trust me, Ianto,’ he repeated, and Ianto finally nodded.

With a triumphant smile, Jack tugged Ianto’s underwear down, the cool air of Jack’s office on his heated skin made Ianto hiss and curl his toes. Jack smiled – a fond smile that made Ianto moan and bite his lip – then he drew the pre-come sticky crown into his hot mouth.

‘Oh!’

A shudder jolted through him as Jack’s tongue circled the head then sucked lightly as his tongue lapped the pre-come from the slit. Ianto felt his balls tighten, pleasure building with such speed it made him dizzy. Jack’s hands caressed Ianto’s inner thighs with feather-light strokes, working his way closer and closer to the crevice between his buttocks as he slowly took Ianto’s cock into his mouth — inch by torturous inch.

A teasing scrape of teeth along his shaft made Ianto cry out, his fingers closing around the edge of Jack’s desk, knuckles going white with pressure. Ianto panted for breath – short, sharp inhalations that sounded like sobs – as he tried desperately to hold back his orgasm, to enjoy this moment that he would never, ever get back.

But Jack was so damn good, and it had been far too long since Ianto was touched with tenderness, was given pleasure instead of it being taken. His orgasm rushed from him, his back bowing and mind shutting down with the intensity. He heard someone shouting: rough, guttural noises that sounded almost savage, and realised it was him.

He was boneless, completely unable to move or think or talk, barely able to open his eyes to watch Jack stroke himself fast and hard before striping Ianto’s abdomen with sticky ribbons of come then collapsing on top of him.

0o0

‘Ianto? Hey, Ianto.’

Ianto muttered something under his breath then buried his face in the pillow. Jack smiled affectionately, ruffling the other man’s messy curls before giving him a shake. ‘C’mon, gorgeous, time to go shopping.’

‘Wha’?’ Ianto lifted his head, peering at Jack through bleary eyes. ‘Shoppin’?’

Jack held up his credit card. ‘You need a least two more suits and a tuxedo for a formal dinner and concert.’ He waved the card playfully. ‘Come on, sleepyhead.’

Ianto grunted and lifted himself up on an elbow. ‘More shopping,’ he mumbled, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

Jack stood up, tucking his shirt into his trousers. ‘I was surprised you didn’t buy more the other day.’

Ianto looked up at him, his brow furrowed. ‘Didn’t you talk to Toshiko?’ he asked.

Puzzled, Jack shook his head. ‘No. Why?’

‘She gave me the name of your tailor who could only organize the one suit on such short notice,’ he explained, swinging his legs over the edge of the mattress.

Jack slid his braces into place then sat beside Ianto. ‘Why didn’t you just go to another store?’ Ianto pursed his lips then murmured something Jack couldn’t hear. ‘Pardon?’

‘They were arseholes,’ Ianto blurted out, hunching in on himself as he recalled the humiliation of being turned away at the store. ‘They wouldn’t serve me.’

‘They wouldn’t serve you?’ repeated Jack, affronted and furious on Ianto’s behalf and kicking himself for not considering that Ianto – dressed in torn jeans and faded t-shirt – might not be treated respectfully in Cardiff’s finest stores. He lifted his chin defiantly. ‘Well, we’ll see about that.’

***

Ianto was wearing a stoic mask as they entered Moss but Jack could see the nervous leap of the muscle in his jaw, the tension in his shoulders. ‘Relax,’ he whispered.

‘I can’t,’ Ianto hissed back. ‘Why are rich people such pricks?’

‘They’re pricks to everyone, Ianto,’ Jack answered as a perfectly attired salesman with a quizzical yet polite expression approached. ‘They’re only nice to credit cards, of which I have many.’

‘Good morning. I am Mr. Hollister, the manager. May I help you, gentlemen?’

Jack didn’t hold out his hand or even smile. ‘Captain Jack Harkness,’ he said coldly, and Ianto watched as the manager’s back stiffened and shoulders pulled back.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Do you see my friend here?’ Jack said, indicating Ianto who shuffled his feet self-consciously as Hollister offered him a tight smile.

‘Yes, sir?’

‘Don’t you think he would look fabulous in the black number in the window?’

Hollister looked at Ianto again, his gaze more assessing this time. ‘No, sir.’ At Jack’s raised eyebrow, he went on, stumbling over his words. ‘I mean, he is quite fair, sir, and the black might be too strong a colour for his skin.’

‘Mm,’ said Jack, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he gazed at Ianto. He offered Ianto a secret wink before his features turned bland again and he addressed Hollister. ‘We’re gonna need a few more people helping us and I’ll tell you why. We’re going to be spending an obscene amount of money in here today so you’re going to need a lot more help sucking up to us.’

Ianto was impressed by the manager’s straight face as he called for the two assistants loitering around the checkout counter to come forward. ‘Brett, Marcus, meet…’ He paused and looked enquiringly at Ianto.

‘Ianto Jones,’ Ianto said, awkwardly.

‘Mr. Jones,’ he continued. ‘Please ensure you give him your full and complete attention.’

The two assistants nodded then ushered Ianto off to a seating area to look through colour and fabric charts. Ianto, alarmed, looked back at Jack, who smiled and made a shooing gesture with his hands.

‘Excuse me, sir,’ murmured Hollister, edging closer to Jack. ‘Exactly how obscene an amount of money were you talking about? Just profane or really offensive?’

Jack pulled out his phone as it vibrated, frowning at the message from Alastair’s assistant, asking when Jack expected to arrive at St David’s. ‘Really offensive,’ he said absently, barely hearing the other man mutter, ‘I like him,’ under his breath as he joined the men helping Ianto.

Jack sent a quick text back to Alistair’s assistant, telling him that he was on his way. Then he tucked the mobile phone back into his coat pocket, glancing over at Ianto as he did. He smiled at the bewildered expression on Ianto’s face, watching as the men fawned over him, bringing him different suits for his approval.

He’d forgotten how much fun it was to have someone in his life to spoil. He had always enjoyed this part of a relationship; being able to make someone’s face light up, make them laugh, make them happy. Too bad this phase never lasted.

Too bad this wasn’t a relationship.

Jack jolted back to reality. For a few minutes, he’d forgotten why Ianto was here with him and that their time together had a definite expiration date. It was a sign he was getting too comfortable with the other man if he was forgetting what this was.

Ianto was stroking the sleeve of a bold, deep-purple shirt with a longing that was almost palpable. He turned and looked uncertainly at Jack, who gave him an encouraging nod. It would look gorgeous next to Ianto’s skin and suddenly, Jack was thinking of all the ways he could get him out of that shirt. He shook his head to rid himself of the tempting images, relieved when his phone buzzed.

‘Suzie,’ he said with fake cheer. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘Where are you?’ she snapped, just as Hollister tentatively approached.

‘Hold on.’ Jack looked at Hollister. ‘Yes?’

‘I was just wondering, sir, if there was anything else we could do for you and your colleague.’

Jack bit back a smirk, coaching his face into a disinterested mask. ‘I think we still need some major sucking up.’

‘Very well, sir. You’re not only handsome, but a powerful man. I could see the second you walked in here, you were someone to reckon with…’

Jack held up a hand. ‘Hollister.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Not me.’ Jack pointed at Ianto. ‘Him.’

‘Right,’ Hollister said, almost bowing as he backed away. ‘Of course, sir.’

Jack went back to his call, turning his back on the sycophantic man. ‘Why? Do you need help?’

‘Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart called personally, wondering why you weren’t at the morning meeting,’ she said angrily. ‘The tracker in your phone says you’re in The Hayes…’

‘I had something to do before the meetings,’ he interrupted, casting another look at Ianto over his shoulder. He smiled as he watched the other man slide on a charcoal jacket then smooth his hands over the lapels.

‘Jack!’

‘Sorry,’ he said quickly. ‘Look, I’m on my way there now, Suzie.’

‘He’s distracting you.’

Jack was stumped for words for a moment then said, ‘What?’

‘Jones,’ she elaborated with a snide undertone. ‘He’s distracting you from what’s important, Jack. Or have you changed your mind? Do you want Torchwood and UNIT to unite under one banner now? Be one big happy family?’

Jack clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to bawl his second out. ‘If Alistair calls again,’ he said, grimly. ‘Tell him I’m on my way.’

Then he hung up.

A veritable rainbow of shirts lay across the back of the couch in the dressing area, Jack touching the silky fabric of an azure collar as Ianto stepped out from behind a curtain.

‘What do you think?’ Ianto asked with an air of casual carelessness, but Jack could see the desire for approval in his eyes.

Jack let his gaze travel from Ianto’s face to his toes and back again, smiling in appreciation of the well-fitting suit. ‘Definitely that one,’ he said, his heart doing a funny little skip when Ianto beamed.

Stepping close, he pulled his wallet from his trousers, discreetly palming a credit card off to Ianto. ‘I have to go,’ he murmured, letting his fingers skim over the back of Ianto’s hand. ‘Work to do. I need you this afternoon so I’ll meet you for lunch at the Hub, yeah?’

Ianto nodded and Jack called to Hollister, ‘He has my card.’

‘And we’ll help him use it, sir,’ Hollister replied saucily, and Jack almost changed his opinion of the man. He turned his attention back to Ianto. ‘You really do look beautiful,’ he murmured, pressing his lips to Ianto’s cheek. ‘I love that tie. Make sure you get that tie.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Ianto smirked, and Jack’s breathing stuttered. ‘Can I go to the other store and show them how much commission they lost yesterday?’

Jack swallowed hard to lubricate his dry throat then huffed out a laugh. ‘That would be a little immature, wouldn’t it?’

Ianto shrugged. ‘I guess,’ he said, pouting in a way that made Jack long to feel that mouth on his. ‘Could I put one of those Weevils in their dressing room then?

A bark of laughter burst from Jack and he ran a finger along Ianto’s jaw. ‘Just a little one.’

0o0

Suzie Costello swore under her breath as Owen’s London accent grated down her spine. She tapped her comm unit. ‘What, Owen?’

‘Jack’s back with his toy boy,’ he sneered. ‘And they’ve got lunch. Get up here.’

Suzie didn’t bother answering, just clicking her comm off before reluctantly sliding a metal glove off her hand. She stared at the body lying on the cold storage slab beside her, irritated that she’d have to wait to use the glove on it.

She packed the glove and an elaborate-looking knife away in a tote bag which she slung over her shoulder. Using her hip, she slid the drawer back inside the cold storage unit. She needed to come back after lunch; the body had to be as fresh as possible for the best results and this one had already been dead for eighteen hours.

She knew the exact time of death. She was there when it happened.

On her way back up to the Hub, she stowed the tote bag in her locker and shut the door firmly. Jack was so short-sighted sometimes. He didn’t have her vision, he didn’t understand the capabilities of the glove and knife when they were used together. So she had to do this behind his back for now, just until he came to his senses and realised what a find this was. When she got it working properly, when she could bring the deceased back for more than mere minutes, it would put Torchwood in a position to be the most influential and powerful organization in the world.

But she needed time and resources before it got to that stage which is why this amalgamation with UNIT couldn’t go ahead. Jack was easy to distract — Suzie snorted. This kid, Jones, was evidence of that – but UNIT was a whole different ball game. They would ask questions, keep track of how she spent her time, where she spent her time. They would ruin everything.

She couldn’t allow it to happen.

Stepping through to the Hub level, she saw Jack and his new plaything in the doorway of Jack’s office. She stopped, staying in the shadows as she watched her boss laugh and hug the other man. Suzie scowled. It wasn’t like Jack to bring his personal life into the Hub, to let it play out in front of her and the others. She hadn’t ever seen him like this, and it worried her.

Ianto Jones was distracting Jack and, while she wanted Jack well away from her project, she needed him focused on stopping UNIT’s agenda, not a new relationship.

Jones disappeared into Jack’s office and Jack whistled cheerily as he grabbed a paper bag from the Chinese restaurant and headed for the conference room.

‘Jack,’ she called, hurrying up the stairs. ‘Wait.’

Jack caught sight of her and smiled. ‘Suzie.’ He greeted her with a wide smile. ‘I hope Chinese is alright? Ianto had a craving.’

Suzie planted her hands on her hips. ‘What is it with you and this guy?’ she asked. ‘He appeared out of nowhere and he’s got you acting like a lovesick teenager.’

Jack exhaled sharply through his nose. ‘Hardly,’ he said, a touch of defensiveness in his voice. Suzie latched onto it, hoping Jack would confide in her, would tell her something she could use.

‘Where did he come from?’ she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. ‘How do you know he doesn’t work for UNIT? That they sent him to spy on us? To get information that will force Her Majesty to order them to take over?’

‘He’s not a spy, Suzie,’ Jack scoffed.

‘You can’t know that for sure,’ she snapped. ‘He’s doing a damn good job at distracting you for someone with no agenda.’

‘He has no agenda,’ Jack insisted. ‘Trust me, Suzie.’

‘Why should I?’ she retorted. ‘You never tell us anything and now there’s this stranger given carte blanche to wander around the Hub…’

‘He’s a rent boy,’ Jack broke in, aggravated. ‘Okay? He’s not a spy and he has no agenda beyond getting paid for services rendered.’

Suzie just stared at him, mouth working but nothing coming out. Jack sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head. ‘You cannot tell anyone,’ he said harshly, shoving the bag at her. ‘Now, if your curiosity is satisfied, take this up to the others. I’m going to join Ianto for lunch then we’re going back to St David’s Hall.’

He spun on his heel and stalked away, slamming the door of his office shut. Suzie’s fingers curled around the paper bag and, as she walked up the stairs to the conference room, a slow, avaricious smile spreading across her face.

0o0

Jack leaned back against the door of his office, cursing himself for letting Suzie bait him into admitting what Ianto really did. This century was still so stuffy about sex and money that he knew it would affect his leadership, and he was sure Ianto wouldn’t be comfortable with it.

Ianto.

He smiled and pushed off the door. The other man was waiting down in his bunker with some decent Chinese and better conversation. Jack unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and shoved his braces off his shoulders, letting them hang down his legs. He lowered himself down the ladder, trying not to think about what the fact he’d been looking forward to this all day meant.

‘How was your morning, dear?’

Jack missed the last few rungs, dropping gracelessly to the floor. Hungrily, he stared at Ianto, the other man naked but for a striped tie hanging loosely around his neck.

‘Nice tie,’ he rasped out.

Ianto smiled serenely and let the tie slide through his fingers. ‘It’s the one you picked out.’

Jack, already breathing erratically, yanked his shirts over his head and fell upon Ianto like a starving man.

0o0

That evening, they were back in Jack’s bed, lying together on their sides; Ianto spooned behind Jack with his leg slung over Jack’s hip. His fingers traced winding patterns on Jack’s bicep as they talked quietly. Jack had found himself confessing his immortality, which Ianto had taken with more sympathy than awe, then talk turned to Jack’s past.

‘So, you can’t go back home?’ Ianto asked, sorrow in his voice after Jack finished talking. ‘You’re stuck here in this century, forced to live through the next three thousand years before you are back in your own time?’

Jack shrugged, careful not to dislodge the other man. ‘Yep,’ he said, sliding his hand along Ianto’s thigh. It wasn’t a sexual touch – not even Jack could get it up again so soon after what they’d just done – but one of comfort, of familiarity, for the sheer pleasure of just touching.

‘Christ,’ muttered Ianto, his leg tightening around Jack. ‘I’m sorry, Jack.’

‘It’s alright. I left home a long time ago,’ Jack told him. ‘I don’t really know where I really belong anymore. Maybe that doesn’t matter.’

‘Don’t you get lonely?’

Jack closed his eyes. He did, quite often, but he was startled to realise that he’d been less so this week. Having Ianto here with him had given him something to look forward to at the end of the day.

‘Going home wouldn’t fix that,’ he murmured, curving his hand over the swell of Ianto’s buttock. He squeezed the taut flesh there before rolling over to face Ianto, so close on their shared pillow that their noses were almost touching. ‘Being here, I’ve seen things I never dreamed I’d see, loved people I never would have known if I’d just stayed where I was.’ He gazed into Ianto’s eyes and wanting nothing more in that moment than to kiss him. ‘And I wouldn’t change that for the world.’

Ianto tipped his head to press their foreheads together before lifting his chin and planting a gentle kiss on Jack’s nose. The simple, sweet gesture broke the tension that had built, and Jack chuckled. ‘Maybe you should be a therapist,’ he suggested with a laugh.

‘Mmm,’ said Ianto, rolling Jack onto his back and climbing atop him. He reached between his legs, stroking his thumb along his shaft. ‘Did I ever mention that my cock is nine inches long when fully erect?’

Jack frowned, amused but puzzled. ‘That’s impressive but so…?’

Ianto’s cock began to fill. ‘So basically we are talking about nine inches of therapy right here, just for you, and all for the bargain price of three-‘

‘-thousand pounds.’

They spoke together, Jack grinning and pulling Ianto down to nip at his throat. ‘Nine inches?’ Jack mumbled teasingly into Ianto’s neck, feeling so much lighter. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Measuring tapes never lie, Harkness.’

0o0

‘You look amazing!’

Ianto felt his entire body heat several degrees as Jack’s eyes raked over his body. He was wearing the tuxedo Jack had insisted he purchase the day before. It fit like a glove – all except for the cuffs which gaped open, spoiling the picture.

He got a good look at Jack when he looked up and his mouth went dry. ‘Wow,’ he breathed, drinking in the sight of Jack looking delicious in his own tux.

Jack smirked. ‘I know,’ he said, wriggling his eyebrows comically.

Ianto laughed, grateful for the distraction from the butterflies in his stomach. This was a formal gathering at Millennium Centre to watch the Welsh National Opera perform and the hierarchy of UNIT would be attending. Ianto didn’t want to embarrass himself. He didn’t want to embarrass Jack.

‘You are gorgeous, Ianto,’ Jack said, tugging lightly at Ianto’s bow tie. He tapped his finger on his bottom lip thoughtfully. ‘But something is missing.’

‘No kidding,’ Ianto said dryly, holding up both arms. ‘I didn’t think to get cufflinks.’

Jack pulled a velvet-covered box from his jacket pocket. ‘Good thing I did.’ He popped the lid and Ianto couldn’t help but gasp.

‘Jack…’

‘Now, they’re on loan,’ Jack warned him, taking the cufflinks from the box and taking Ianto’s hand in his own. ‘So don’t lose them or I’ll have to deduct it from your fee.’ He expertly fixed Ianto’s cuff, smiling as he admired the aesthetic of the ruby and gold cufflinks against the white fabric.

‘They’re stunning, Jack,’ Ianto said, nervous about walking around all night with two tiny cufflinks — worth more than everything he owned – on his wrists.

‘Now, you’re perfect,’ Jack said with a grin. He grabbed Ianto’s coat and handed it to him. ‘Let’s go.’

***

As he waited at the bar at intermission, Ianto felt a hand on his lower back and he automatically leaned into it. ‘What do you think of it so far?’ Jack asked, so close his chest was pressed against Ianto’s arm.

‘It’s wonderful,’ Ianto enthused, smiling at the other man. ‘I love it.’

‘I thought you might,’ Jack said smugly before raising a hand and attracting the bartender’s attention. ‘What would you like to drink?’

‘Whatever you’re having.’

‘Two scotch with soda, thanks,’ Jack ordered then he rubbed his hand in concentric circles over Ianto’s back. ‘I’ve got to go and talk to Alistair and meet the new Brig. Will you be fine on your own for a while?’

‘Of course,’ Ianto said, a little indignantly. ‘I’m pretty good at taking care of myself.’

Jack took his drink from the server. ‘I know,’ he said. ‘I won’t be long.’

Ianto just waved his hand in dismissal and thanked the bartender for his own drink. He’d barely taken a mouthful when he became aware of a light floral scent. A second later, a woman about his own age stepped up to the bar and ordered a glass of white wine. Ianto stared at her, a frown on his face. She looked so familiar but he couldn’t quite place her.

It wasn’t until she became aware of his gaze and turned to confront him that he realised where he’d seen her before. ‘Adeola?’ he whispered, certain he was going mad. He looked around wildly for Jack, panic beginning to build, but the woman shook her head.

‘No,’ she said sadly. ‘No, I’m not Addy, but she was my cousin.’ She put her hand on his arm. ‘I’m sorry. We do look very much alike. You obviously knew her…?’

Ianto felt his galloping heart begin to slow and took a drink of his whiskey, the amber liquid splashing against the side of the tumbler as his hand shook. ‘Yes,’ he said, hoarsely then he cleared his throat. ‘I… She was my girlfriend’s friend. We all worked together.’

‘In London? At Torchwood?’ Martha asked.

Ianto nodded and she looked at him with awe. ‘You survived,’ she whispered, fingers biting into his arm. ‘You lived through it.’

Ianto simply nodded, and Martha smiled. ‘I’m Martha Jones.’

She stuck her hand out and Ianto took it. ‘Ianto Jones,’ he said.

‘I am very pleased to meet you, Ianto Jones.’

***

Benjamin James – newly anointed Brigadier – was saying all the right things, but Jack still wasn’t convinced. ‘UNIT have never been particularly sympathetic towards alien incursions,’ Jack said, voice hard. ‘Shoot first, ask questions later has always been your motto.’

‘As it was Torchwood’s in the not-so-distant past, Captain,’ James countered evenly. ‘Torchwood needed someone in leadership to put change into motion. You had Alex Hopkins; I’m hoping that I can be the one to initiate a similar metamorphosis at UNIT. With your help.’

‘Why not wait?’ Jack asked. ‘What’s the hurry? Why not wait until your new training regime has been implemented and proven successful then talk about joining the two agencies?’

‘Because you know as well as I do, Jack, that the day is fast approaching when Earth will lose its innocence in regards to life on other planets. We all need to be prepared for that day. We all need to be on the same page, working together.’

Jack finished his drink with a deep swallow, his eyes meeting Alistair’s over the rim of his glass. His heart sank when he saw the resigned look on his old friends face. He’d lost his last ally.

The discreet flicker of lights heralded the end of the intermission and, after excusing himself, Jack went searching for Ianto.

***

‘I still miss her,’ Martha said, tapping her fingernail on the stem of her wine glass. ‘We were so close growing up and one day, she was just gone.’

‘I used to wish I’d died that day as well,’ Ianto admitted. ‘It was so hard. I was grieving for Lisa, for my friends, and feeling so guilty for surviving.’ He slumped back in his chair. ‘She wouldn’t know me if she saw me now.’

Martha reached across the small table they’d commandeered and gripped his hand. He squeezed hers in return, smiling gratefully for the quiet support. He cleared his throat and decided it was time to change the subject.

‘So, you work for UNIT?’

Martha withdrew her hand, taking up her drink. ‘I joined about a year ago,’ she told him, taking a quick sip of her wine. ‘And do you work for Captain Harkness or…?’

‘We’re friends,’ Ianto said, after a brief hesitation. ‘He needed someone to accompany him this week and thought I was in a unique position to be both a no-strings date and an extra set of eyes and ears.’

‘Ah, the amalgamation,’ she said with a smile. ‘Word is he’s very opposed to it.’

Ianto snorted in amusement. ‘That’s accurate, if not understated.’

Martha’s pursed her lips thoughtfully. ‘I can’t really blame him for being possessive of Torchwood,’ she mused, glancing across the room. ‘I heard that, after what happened with Alex Hopkins, Captain Harkness was determined to follow his lead and make Torchwood more alien-friendly.’

‘Alex Hopkins?’

She looked at him. ‘You don’t know about what happened to the leader before Jack?’

Ianto shook his head. ‘Jack was already leader when I joined One and we didn’t really have anything to do with them.’

Martha sighed. ‘He went mad after seeing the future in an alien locket and killed himself and his entire team. All except for Jack.’

Aghast, Ianto’s eyes immediately sought Jack, finding him talking with two officers from UNIT. ‘I didn’t know,’ he whispered.

‘And rumour has it Captain Harkness split from One because of their policy about The Doctor.’

Ianto frowned. ‘The Doctor?’

Martha nodded. ‘I heard through the grapevine that he travelled with the Doctor before coming to Earth.’ She finished her drink then put the glass on the table with a sigh. ‘I can understand why he’s putting up such a fight. It must be hard to let go of something that means so much to you.’

Ianto made a noise of agreement, lost in his own thoughts until the lights flickered and Martha said, ‘Time to go back in.’

Ianto saw Jack heading his way and stood, pulling Martha’s chair out for her. She smiled at him in thanks then spontaneously kissed him on the cheek. ‘You’re a good man, Ianto Jones,’ she murmured. ‘And I think Lisa would be happy you survived.’

‘Thank you,’ he said, voice breaking with emotion.

***

Jack saw the pretty, dark-skinned woman kiss Ianto on the cheek and froze in mid-step. His heart thumped wildly in his chest and his insides felt like someone had wrung them out and thrown them on the floor. He barely noticed the woman walk away; his eyes were fixed on Ianto. The other man’s eyes closed, his chest rising as he took a deep breath, before he straightened and looked right at Jack.

Ianto smiled, walking towards him, and Jack attempted to pull himself together. He never felt like this. He didn’t come from a time where people became jealous over petty things like sex. ‘Ready to go back in?’ he said, forcing the words through his tight throat when Ianto reached him.

‘I am,’ Ianto said, brushing a speck of fluff off Jack’s lapel. ‘Listen, Jack, if I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight.’

His aching insides turned to warm liquid at Ianto’s words, and Jack knew in that instant that he was getting in over his head. ‘It was my pleasure,’ he murmured, crooking his elbow and smiling softly when Ianto slipped his arm through his.

0o0

Ianto winced as the cog door rolled back and the alarms went off. ‘Do you really need the alarms?’ he asked, rubbing at his ears. ‘If an intruder has made it all the way down here without being noticed, you’ve got bigger issues to worry about surely?’

Jack chuckled and slapped Ianto on the arse. ‘It’s not for intruders,’ he teased. ‘It’s for me. Jenny Stevens, our doctor before Owen, installed them after catching me walking around in the nude once too often.’

Ianto unashamedly raked his gaze up and down Jack’s body. ‘Why on earth would anyone object to seeing you naked?’

‘Don’t encourage him, Ianto,’ a previously unseen Toshiko called from her work station, her eyes still on her computer monitor. ‘He still puts ‘Naked Friday’ on the agenda of every staff meeting.’

Jack laughed, jogging up the stairs to press a kiss to Toshiko’s head. ‘I’ll wear you lot down one day,’ he said.

Ianto rolled his eyes as he trailed Jack up the stairs, catching Toshiko doing the same. ‘How was the opera?’ she asked, swiveling on her chair to face them.

‘Wonderful,’ Ianto enthused, but before he could elaborate, there was a yell from the autopsy bay.

‘Jack!’ Owen hollered. ‘Get down here and look at this! Tosh, bring the scanner, there’s a love.’

Toshiko heaved a sigh but snatched up a scanner and disappeared into the sunken bay. Jack turned to Ianto who held up his hand to stall whatever he was going to say. ‘I’ll wait in your bunker,’ he said, giving Jack what he hoped was a seductive smile as he brushed past him. ‘Don’t be long.’

He saw Jack’s eyes darken. ‘Yes, sir,’ he snapped out, giving Ianto a salute before hurrying off after Toshiko.

Ianto chuckled and trudged up the stairs to Jack’s office, tugging at the end of his bow tie as he went. It had been a fantastic night, even his meeting with Martha Jones. Seeing her had finally healed what had been an open wound inside him; her reassurance that Lisa would have wanted him to survive, to live, a balm to his aching heart.

Maybe he could really move on now.

‘Hello.’

Ianto jumped, his heart pounding as he stared wide-eyed at the woman sitting behind Jack’s desk. ‘Oh,’ he breathed, clutching at the back of the chair opposite the desk. ‘Ms. Costello. I didn’t see you.’

‘It was quiet up here,’ she said, closing the file in front of her. ‘I can get more work done.’

‘I didn’t mean to interrupt,’ Ianto said, waving a hand at the stack of files she was gathering. ‘I was just going to wait for Jack in his room.’

‘I was ready to finish up anyway’ Suzie told him, smoothly rising to her feet. ‘Did you have a good time tonight?’

‘I did, yes,’ Ianto replied, strangely disconcerted by the way the woman was looking at him. ‘I’ve never been to the opera before.’

Suzie hummed, tucking the files under her arm as she stepped around Jack’s desk. ‘Must make a change from blowing men in Bute Park,’ she said, her voice soft, but poisonous.

Ice chilled Ianto from the inside out, and he stood very still as she approached. ‘What?’

‘Jack told me about you,’ she said, her lips curling into a cruel smile. ‘How you’re here to take care of all his needs this week.’

She reached out, touching a perfectly manicured nail to his lower lip. Ianto jerked back, and she narrowed her eyes. ‘Don’t worry, Ianto,’ she murmured, her gaze running down his body. ‘Your secret is safe with me. In fact, perhaps after Jack has finished with you, we could get together.’

Ianto swallowed hard, furious with Jack, with Suzie, with himself for the burning in his eyes. He licked dry lips and shrugged. ‘Sure. Why not?’ he rasped out, his skin crawling as she pressed up against him before leaving the office.

He clenched his eyes closed, trying to shut out the feelings of hurt, of betrayal. Jack had told her, had treated him like a toy to be passed on to his friend when he was done with it. He passed a hand over his eyes, dashing away the tears that had leaked from beneath his tightly closed lids. It was his own fault, really. He’d forgotten what he was for a while, had begun to get too close, and he’d paid the price for his distraction.

Ianto coughed out a humorless laugh that sounded more like a sob and fumbled for his cigarettes. Even at his lowest moments, he had never felt more dirty, more worthless, more like a whore, than he did right now.

0o0

‘You all right?’

‘I’m fine.’

Jack sighed and pushed himself up from his sprawled position on the bed. ‘Fine. That’s the fourth “fine” since I sent the others home. Could I have another word, please?’

Ianto slammed his hand against the light switch in the bathroom then shut the door – hard – behind him. ‘Arsehole. There’s a word.’

‘I think I liked “fine” better,’ Jack muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. He suspected he wouldn’t be getting any sleep anytime soon.

Ianto stripped down to his trousers and undershirt then spun around, glaring at Jack. ‘You know what? Just tell me one thing: Why did you make me get all dressed up?’

Jack stared at him, puzzled. ‘Well, the clothing was appropriate…’

Ianto kicked his shoes off, not seeing Jack’s wince as one hit an antique umbrella stand in the corner. ‘No, what I mean is, if you were gonna tell everybody I’m a whore, why didn’t you just let me wear my own clothes?’

‘I did not…’

‘Suzie.’ Jack blanched, and Ianto’s cheek jumped. He whirled around and started rooting through Jack’s cupboard. ‘I mean, in my own clothes, when someone like Suzie comes up to me, I can handle it, I’m prepared.’

‘I’m sorry, Ianto,’ Jack said earnestly, ducking a belt as it came flying over Ianto’s shoulder. ‘I didn’t expect her to say anything and I’m not happy about it at all. I only told her because she thought you were some kind of UNIT plant or spy.’

Ianto turned around again. ‘Are you my pimp now? You think you can pass me around to your friends?’ He pushed roughly past Jack, his old faded jeans and t-shirt in his hands. ‘I’m not your goddamned toy.’

‘I know you’re not my toy.’ Ianto was halfway up the ladder before Jack realised what was happening. ‘Ianto!’

Jack followed Ianto, scrambling out of the manhole just in time to see the other man exit Jack’s office. ‘Ianto, I’m speaking to you. Come back here!’

‘No.’

All the frustration and muddled emotion of the night boiled over and Jack went on the offensive. ‘I hate to point out the obvious, but you are, in fact, a rent boy. And, this week, at least, you are my employee.’

Ianto came to an abrupt halt in front of the cog door. ‘You don’t own me,’ he snarled. ‘Idecide, okay? I say who, I say when.’

‘I refuse to spend the next three days fighting with you,’ Jack said, his voice rising. ‘I said I was sorry and I meant it. That’s the end of it!’

‘I’m sorry, too,’ Ianto snapped, rounding on him. ‘I’m sorry I met you. I’m sorry I saved you from that bloody Weevil.’

‘As if you had so many more appealing options,’ Jack sneered, watching as the colour drained from Ianto’s face.

Ianto’s voice was low and desolate. ‘I’ve never had anyone make me feel as cheap as you did today.’

‘Somehow, I find that very hard to believe,’ Jack said scornfully, regretting his words the moment they came out of his mouth.

Ianto’s jaw clenched. ‘Fuck you, Jack,’ he spat, venomously. He turned around and smashed the button to open the gate, striding through as soon as there was enough space to allow it.

Jack ducked through after him. ‘Where are you going?’

‘I want my money,’ Ianto said, waiting in front of the lift for the automatic doors to open. ‘I want to get out of here.’ He smacked his hand against the still-closed doors. ‘Come on!’

The doors opened and Jack panicked. He hated this – feeling this vulnerable and needy – but it hurt to think that he might never see Ianto again. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said softly. ‘I wasn’t prepared to answer questions about us.’

Ianto hadn’t moved, hadn’t tried to enter the lift. A spark of hope warmed Jack and he tried again.

‘It was stupid and cruel. I didn’t mean it.’ He slid his hand into Ianto’s, his voice lowering to a whisper. ‘I don’t want you to go. Will you stay the week?’

‘Why?’ Ianto asked faintly.

Jack considered lying, but he was too tired, too confused, to make it believable. ‘I saw you talking to that Doctor Jones,’ he said in low tones. ‘I didn’t like it.’

Ianto shook his head. ‘We were just talking.’

Jack inhaled deeply then let it out. ‘I didn’t like it.’

There was a long hesitation then Ianto said, ‘You embarrassed me.’

‘Yes.’

‘You humiliated me.’

‘Yes.’

Ianto glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. ‘You hurt me.’

Jack swallowed hard. ‘Yes,’ he whispered.

Warm fingers closed around Jack’s and squeezed. ‘Don’t do it again.’

0o0

Ianto moaned around the thick cock in his mouth, sliding his fingers along Jack’s perineum until he reached his hole. He rubbed his thumb over the pucker, feeling the skin quiver and clench, then carefully pushed the digit inside. Jack’s muffled groan made him shudder, the vibrations from Jack’s throat juddering through his cock – currently lodged deep in Jack’s mouth – to reverberate through his body.

He couldn’t help but thrust his hips, sinking his cock further into that wet warmth, and his balls drew up tight when Jack swallowed, his throat rippling around Ianto’s shaft. Desperate to drag Jack over the edge with him, Ianto pressed his thumb down and stroked firmly.

Jack keened and his hips jerked then the first spurt of hot liquid hit the back of Ianto’s throat. Ianto managed to swallow the thick come down before his own orgasm slammed into him. Jack’s still hard cock slid from his mouth as he arched up, his climax so powerful he felt it in every cell, in every molecule. His fingers bit into the flesh of Jack’s buttock as his release crashed over him and he panted Jack’s name with every exhale.

When Ianto was shaking and limp on the mattress, Jack moved, sliding up his spent body to lap at the salty drops of sweat sprinkled across his skin. Ianto felt and heard the rasp of Jack’s tongue as it lashed over his stubbled chin, licking up a few drops of come that had escaped. He could taste Jack on his tongue and had the sudden desire to taste himself on Jack’s. He’d never done this before, never known the intimacy of tasting himself in someone’s mouth. Ianto licked his lips. If he tilted his head, just a little, Jack’s mouth would brush over his and he could make it look like an accident…

Jack pulled back, raising a hand to stroke Ianto’s damp hair from his forehead. ‘I’ll get us a wash cloth,’ he murmured, pressing a quick kiss to the hinge of Ianto’s jaw before sliding off the bed.

Ianto closed his eyes, thankful that Jack had left when he had, before Ianto had made an enormous mistake. Last night – his and Jack’s argument – should have been a great big flashing warning sign for him that he was getting too close, allowing himself to think this was more than it really was.

In three days, it’ll be over, he told himself. Then I’ll never see Jack again.

Knowing that shouldn’t have stung as much as it did.

Jack reappeared, looking brighter and fresher than any man had a right to before seven in the morning, and insisted on wiping the dried layer of sweat from Ianto’s skin.

‘What do you want to do today?’ he asked as he dragged the warm washer over Ianto’s abdomen. ‘It’s a free day so the delegates can have a look around the city.’

‘You aren’t going to work?’

Jack smiled and threw the washer towards the bathroom. ‘Nah. I haven’t taken a day off since… well, for years, so I think I’m entitled to play hooky today.’

‘Really?’ Ianto sat up, a sly smile on his face as he wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck. ‘I wonder what we could do to fill all that time.’

***

‘So what did you want to do when you were a kid?’ Jack asked as they walked along the boardwalk, enjoying a rare sunny Cardiff day with the lunchtime crowd. ‘I can’t imagine your current profession was high on the list.’

Ianto snorted and shook his head. ‘No, but then, I didn’t really have a list. My main goal was to get out of Cardiff, to get out of the estate I grew up on, to not be the same kind of loser in life as my father.’ He let out a bitter little laugh. ‘And here I am, having run home with my tail between my legs, living in an area that’s listed as one of the worst in the city, and I’m a bigger failure than my father ever was.’

‘I’m pretty sure your father never survived a duel alien terrorist attack and had to rebuild his life from nothing,’ Jack argued. ‘Ianto, it’s a miracle that you’re even alive.’

‘There were plenty of times I wished I wasn’t,’ he muttered, and Jack came to a halt.

‘Do you still wish that?’ he asked worriedly.

Ianto ducked his head. ‘No,’ he said, suddenly fascinated with his shoes. ‘No, I… I’m ready to move on with my life, to find meaning again.’

Jack slipped his hand into Ianto’s as they started walking again. ‘And what do you think would give you meaning again, Mr. Jones?’

Ianto shrugged. ‘When I’ve worked it out, I’ll let you know,’ he said, bumping Jack’s shoulder with his own.

They stopped for fish and chips, eating it right out of the paper as they overlooked the Bay. ‘And what about you?’ Ianto asked, licking the grease and salt off his fingers.

‘You realise I can’t hear a thing you’re saying when you’re doing that?’ Jack said conversationally, eyeing Ianto’s fingers with a hunger that made Ianto shiver.

Ianto curled his tongue teasingly around his thumb once more before dropping his hands to his lap. ‘I wanted to know if Torchwood is what gives you meaning?’ he asked quietly, aware of the proximity of others around them. ‘Is that why you’re fighting so hard to keep it?’

Jack finished his last chip and balled up the paper. ‘I rebuilt that place from the ground up,’ he said with quiet fervor. ‘I took Torchwood and made it something to be proud of, something that… something that…’

‘… something that he would be proud of?’ Ianto asked, curiosity overwhelming him after finding out about Jack’s past with Torchwood and his association with The Doctor. ‘Is your ‘he’ Alex Hopkins? Or The Doctor?’

Jack sucked in a sharp breath, clearly unnerved by Ianto’s knowledge. ‘How did you…?’

‘Martha Jones,’ Ianto said simply.

Jack stood abruptly. ‘Not here,’ he said roughly, tossing his rubbish into a nearby bin before striding off.

Ianto threw away the remaining now-cold chips and jogged to catch Jack up. ‘Where are we going?’

‘You’ll see,’ Jack replied.

Twenty minutes later, they both stood on the roof of the Millennium Centre. ‘Is this where you come when you need to think?’ Ianto asked softly, gazing at Jack’s face which had relaxed and softened the moment they stepped out of the lift and onto the roof.

‘Yep.’ He clambered up onto the ledge – the only thing that stood between Ianto and falling to a certain death – and held out a hand. ‘Coming up?’

‘No, thanks,’ Ianto said, compromising by sitting on the ledge with his feet still firmly on the roof. ‘I’m good here.’

Jack looked down at Ianto. ‘You’re not afraid of falling, are you?’

‘No,’ answered Ianto, peering cautiously over the edge before reaching for a cigarette. ‘Just the landing.’

Jack smiled then crouched, sitting down beside Ianto with his legs dangling over the lip of the ledge. ‘Alex Hopkins was the first leader I’d worked under that treated me as a human being instead of something to be used, or feared, or studied,’ he said softly. He took the lighter from Ianto’s fingers and lit his cigarette for him. ‘I was there when he killed himself. He told me that Torchwood was his gift to me, that change was coming and we weren’t ready.’

Jack shook his head and held out his hand for Ianto’s cigarette. Ianto handed it over and Jack took a long drag before giving it back. He exhaled a long stream of smoke then continued. ‘He left Torchwood in my hands so I could make sure we were prepared for the future and I can’t do that if I have to run to UNIT to validate every decision.’

‘Surely you would have a place in their plans?’ Ianto said, taking a quick pull on the cigarette before offering it to Jack.

Heaving a sigh, Jack shrugged and took the offered smoke. ‘It’s not the same.’

Ianto didn’t know what to say so he didn’t say anything. He watched Jack tip his face to the sky and close his eyes, grey smoke trickling from between his lips. ‘What do you see?’ he whispered. ‘When you’re standing here at night with nothing between you and the stars? What are you thinking?’

‘I’m remembering,’ Jack murmured. ‘I’m remembering what it was like to be up there, to be free to wake up on one planet and go to sleep on another. I’m remembering them – The Doctor and Rose.’

‘You miss them,’ Ianto said, hating the twinge of jealousy he experienced. He took the cigarette from Jack’s fingers.

‘Yes,’ Jack said with a sad smile. ‘But I got the closure I was looking for at Canary Wharf and I know that this is where I’m meant to be.’

‘They influenced the way you want Torchwood to deal with aliens…’

Jack chuckled darkly and took the cigarette from Ianto’s mouth, tossing it over the edge of the building. ‘They changed my life, Ianto. In so many ways. But yes, I wanted to make Torchwood something to be proud of, something he would be proud of me for creating.’

‘And you think he won’t be proud of you if you let UNIT into Torchwood?’

Jack bit his bottom lip. ‘It wouldn’t be my achievement. It wouldn’t show him that I was worth saving, that I really am bigger on the inside.’

Jack looked close to tears and Ianto’s heart ached for him. He shuffled closer and slid his arms around the other man’s waist, resting his head on his shoulder. ‘You have nothing to prove. I’ve only known you a few days,’ he whispered, ‘and I already know you are bigger on the inside. If he can’t see it, then he’s a fool.’

Jack leaned into Ianto’s embrace and sighed. ‘I really want to kiss you right now,’ he murmured, and Ianto closed his eyes.

‘Me, too,’ he said quietly, but neither of them moved.

0o0

‘You said it had been years since you had a day off,’ Ianto reminded Jack several hours later as they lay tangled together on the Hub couch. ‘Why?’

Jack lifted his head off Ianto’s chest, blinking up at him through sleepy eyes. ‘This is a demanding job,’ he said simply.

Ianto’s hand was buried in Jack’s hair and he put pressure on the other man’s head, pushing it back down onto his chest where he resumed his lazy stroking. ‘You still need time off,’ Ianto objected. ‘You don’t sleep much and you work almost twenty hours a day. Everyone needs time for themselves, Jack. Even immortal alien hunters from the fifty-first century.’

A snort was Jack’s only response. Ianto quietly combed his fingers through Jack’s short locks for several moments then said, ‘If you weren’t trying to impress the Doctor or make this place what Alex wanted you to make it, if you were just Jack — doing your job — would you be fighting UNIT’s plans so hard?’

‘But I’m not just Jack.’

‘But if you were?’ Ianto insisted. He shifted to look down at Jack’s face. ‘I heard you on the phone to – is it Gwen?’ Jack nodded and Ianto continued. ‘I heard you tell her to hang on to her life, to not let it drift, but what about you? What about the others? Don’t they – you — deserve the same opportunity to have a life?’

‘I… It’s different for me, for them,’ Jack began, but Ianto cut him off.

‘You’re too close, Jack,’ he said gently. ‘You don’t see the look in their eyes when they hear you say that to Gwen, when you tell her how important it is that she have something other than this place in her life, then turn around and tell them to get back to work. I saw it today, in Owen and Toshiko’s eyes. It hurts them, they resent it.’

Jack sat up and Ianto’s hand fell from his hair. ‘They know that if they meet someone, I’ll try my best to…’

‘How are they ever going to meet someone, Jack?’ Ianto said softly. ‘They’re always here. You’re always here. Don’t you all deserve a life outside Torchwood?’

‘Why are you saying this?’ Jack asked harshly, pulling away until there was enough space between them for another person. ‘It’s none of your business.’

‘You made it my business by asking me to work for you this week,’ Ianto retorted.

Jack made a dismissive noise and stood up. ‘I’m getting another coffee,’ he said flatly. ‘Want one?’

‘No, thanks,’ Ianto murmured, watching Jack walk away. He lay back down on the couch with a sigh and muttered, ‘Well, that went well.’

***

‘I have tried it before, you know.’

Ianto opened his eyes. ‘What?’

Jack huffed and pushed Ianto’s legs off the couch, sitting down beside him. ‘A real life,’ he elaborated. ‘It’s too hard.’

Ianto raised an eyebrow. ‘You gave up because it was too hard?’

‘I can’t die, Ianto,’ Jack snapped. ‘And I work for a secret alien hunting agency. It’s a bit much for the average person to be expected to accept.’

‘Then find someone who will accept it,’ Ianto told him.

‘It’s not that easy…’

‘Not if you’re working twenty hours a day, no.’

Jack hissed in annoyance and put his cup down heavily, cursing when hot coffee sloshed over the rim. He slouched back against the cushions and crossed his arms. ‘You are right about the others, though,’ he admitted grudgingly. ‘Gwen was already living with Rhys when she started here and I don’t want her to lose her anchor. She’s so… normal, so unbroken, and I don’t want to see her ruined by this job. Rhys will help her hang onto real life.’

He glanced at Ianto. ‘But I forgot about the others because they’re like me. They knew pain and loss already and I thought that Torchwood could do for them what it did for me when I needed something to focus on. I thought it could help heal them. But I didn’t want it to become their whole lives.’ He shook his head and said sadly, ‘I didn’t want it to become my whole life.’

‘It doesn’t have to be.’ Ianto slid across the couch, curling up against Jack’s side, his arms slung loosely around Jack’s neck. ‘You might not want this merger, Jack, but maybe you – and the others – need it.’

Jack lowered his head to Ianto’s shoulder and let out a shuddering breath that warmed Ianto’s skin. He sounded so tired, so worn, that Ianto couldn’t stand it. He pushed off the couch then turned and held out his hands to Jack. ‘Come on,’ he said with a soft smile. ‘Let’s go to bed.’

0o0

The oil painting on the wall opposite was slightly crooked and it was driving Ianto mad. He’d stopped taking notes when the meeting between Jack and the UNIT hierarchy had dissolved into a slanging match, and his fingers had been itching to right that picture for several minutes now.

He forced himself to turn away and concentrate on what was happening at the table. Jack looked tired today. He hadn’t slept well and Ianto knew their conversation from last night had been preying on his mind, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret the confrontation. Jack’s team was divided; whether Jack was aware of it or not, he’d been playing favourites. If resentment was allowed to fester, it would split them – perhaps irrevocably – and Ianto was certain that Jack would never recover from that, knowing he was the cause of it.

God, he needed a smoke.

‘But Jack, surely you can see how combining our resources would only benefit public safety?’ Colonel Magambo said earnestly. ‘We’d be able to provide a wider coverage than Torchwood can at the moment. You can’t tell me your people wouldn’t be glad to share the load.’

‘My people are trained professionals,’ Jack said wearily. ‘They know what they’re doing and are aware of the expectations of the job.’

‘Their life expectation will almost certainly be extended if Torchwood were to join with UNIT,’ Colonel Oduya said, joining the conversation for the first time.

Ianto winced at the topic and the Colonel’s mocking tone. He glanced at Jack, who was glaring with intense dislike at Oduya.

‘The mortality rate of the Torchwood organization is abysmal,’ Oduya declared loudly. ‘Four goes missing, taking fourteen agents with it, Alex Hopkins kills ten operatives at the turn of the century, and then One’s carelessness causes nearly eight hundred deaths just over a year ago. Not a good record, Harkness.’

Ianto felt rage rush through him like burning lava. His friends had died, Lisa had died, and this man was casually declaring it “careless”. ‘Good people died, protecting their country, through no fault of their own,’ he said, low and angry as every eye swung towards him. ‘How dare you trivialize their sacrifices.’

Oduya narrowed his eyes as his clerk whispered in his ear. ‘Ah, you’re from One,’ he sneered, his derision clear. His gaze skipped from Ianto to Jack then back again. ‘A survivor.’

He made it sound like a dirty word and Ianto’s hackles went up. ‘You’re talking about people who were my friends, who were Captain Harkness’ friends. It doesn’t negate your point if you show a little respect for those who’ve died in the service of Her Majesty.’

‘The staff at One died because they got in over their heads,’ Oduya retorted. ‘It was stupidity, pure and simple.’

Ianto’s fists clenched and he shoved his chair back, leaping to his feet. Before he could say a word, though, Jack was beside him, snatching up his notepad and guiding him with a hand on his lower back. ‘We’re leaving, Ianto.’

‘Jack, you can’t walk out,’ Magambo cried, casting a dark look at Oduya. ‘The vote is tomorrow.’

Jack squeezed Ianto’s waist. ‘Wait here,’ he murmured before striding back to the table.

‘This is exactly the attitude I’m talking about,’ he snapped, pointing at an unrepentant Oduya. ‘I won’t have the Torchwood name associated with people like him.’ He glanced around at the others. ‘I know that I’m very much in the minority of those who don’t want this merger, but regardless, as Leader of Torchwood Three and Director of Torchwood, my word holds a lot of weight with the decision makers. And if this amalgamation does go ahead…’ He smiled unpleasantly. ‘I am someone you would much rather have working with you than against you.’

0o0

Jack fended off Suzie’s prying inquiries as he led Ianto through the Hub, meeting a concerned Toshiko’s gaze. ‘Stand down for the rest of the day,’ he ordered. ‘Transfer the rift alert alarm through to Suzie’s phone, Toshiko. She can call you or Owen if she needs you.’

‘Alright, Jack,’ she said, eyes moving worriedly to a still-pale Ianto.

Suzie stepped forward. ‘Jack…’

‘Don’t,’ he snapped, guiding Ianto into his office before him then following, shutting the door firmly behind them.

Without Jack propelling him, Ianto had come to a halt in the middle of the room, his eyes blank. Jack ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the once-tamed curls, then took his ice-cold hands in his own. ‘Let’s get you in the shower,’ he murmured.

Ianto blinked, slowly focusing on Jack. ‘Shower?’ he repeated.

‘Yeah,’ Jack said with a tight smile. ‘Come on.’

Ten minutes later, Jack was stepping into the shower behind Ianto, who was leaning with his folded arms braced against the wall, his face pressing against his forearms. ‘Hey,’ Jack said softly, winding his arms around Ianto’s waist and resting his cheek against his shoulder blade. ‘Feeling a little better?’

Ianto nodded and lifted his head. ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered. ‘I lost my temper and…’

‘You had every right,’ Jack told him, kissing his shoulder. He nuzzled his nose into Ianto’s neck. ‘Would you tell me about her? Your Lisa?’

‘Not now,’ Ianto said, reaching back and sliding his hand over Jack’s hip. He skimmed his fingers over the other man’s flank and said, ‘Fuck me? I need to feel alive. I need to feel you.’

Jack didn’t ask if he was sure; he was all too familiar with the desperate need to lose yourself in life-affirming sex. He simply collected the waterproof lube and gave Ianto what he needed.

***

‘She was too good for me,’ Ianto said when they were dry, but still naked, and in Jack’s bed. His feet were in Jack’s lap, the other man working magic on his sore arches. ‘She was one of those genuinely nice people who tried to see the best in everyone.’

‘You didn’t think you deserved her?’ Jack asked.

Ianto answered with a shrug. ‘She was smart and sexy and at least a dozen blokes wanted her in her department alone.’

‘But she chose you.’

Ianto smiled in reminiscence of the day he’d finally gathered the courage to ask Lisa out. ‘I thought she pitied me,’ he admitted. ‘It wasn’t until after our fifth date that I realised maybe she liked me too.’

‘What happened on your fifth date?’ Jack asked, rubbing his thumb over Ianto’s ankle.

‘She asked me back up to her flat,’ Ianto said with a grin. ‘And shagged me until I couldn’t walk.’

Jack chuckled, starting on Ianto’s right foot. ‘Sounds like a woman I’d like to get to know.’

‘Yeah,’ Ianto muttered, frowning. ‘And she’d hate me for what I’ve been doing this last year.’ He looked up at Jack. ‘I stopped living when she did, and she’d hate that I’m wasting my life when she no longer has the option.’

Jack squeezed Ianto’s foot. ‘It’s not too late to change all that.’

Ianto hummed an agreement, quiet in contemplation for long moments before he pulled his feet from Jack’s lap and sat up. ‘Thank you for today,’ he said gently, sliding a hand over Jack’s thigh. ‘I’m sorry I messed things up.’

‘You didn’t,’ Jack said then he sighed tiredly. ‘They weren’t wrong.’

‘What about?’

‘My team would be safer with a larger agency. They wouldn’t have to go out into the field. I won’t have to watch them die because of an order I gave.’

‘You love them all, don’t you?’

‘Even Owen,’ Jack joked weakly. ‘Yeah. I do.’

‘You’ll get attached to any team you lead…’

‘Not like this. I chose them. They’re mine. I want to keep them safe. I want to be there to protect them.’

Ianto cupped Jack’s jaw, turning his face towards his own. ‘You can’t protect them from everything, Jack. Even here. And they know that. They won’t love you less if you aren’t shadowing their every step.’

‘It won’t be the same,’ Jack whispered, slightly petulant but mostly just sad.

‘No,’ agreed Ianto. ‘But they won’t leave you, Jack, just because you don’t see them every day. They’ll still be yours.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Oh, yeah.’ Ianto pressed his lips to Jack’s forehead, the gesture taking on a tenderness that made his stomach do a slow flip. ‘I have a feeling you’re a hard man to forget, Jack Harkness.’

Jack had closed his eyes when Ianto kissed him and, when he opened them again, all the guards and walls had crumbled, leaving only a palpable longing that tugged at a similar emotion in Ianto’s chest. Ianto drew in a breath that shuddered with desire and fear then slowly pulled back.

‘I… Bathroom,’ he croaked out, his throat parched. He shuffled off the bed and hurried to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him before his legs gave way.

‘Fuck,’ he muttered, banging his head against the door. ‘Fuck, fuck, fuck.’

He was falling for Jack.

***

Jack was asleep sitting up when Ianto came back from the bathroom, an unopened book in his lap. Ianto smiled and put the book on the side table before carefully sitting down. ‘He sleeps,’ he whispered, giving in to the temptation to brush Jack’s hair away from his forehead. His fingers trailed from Jack’s brow to his cheek, tracing the defined line of his jaw before coming to rest at the cleft in his chin.

Just below his lips.

Before he could stop himself, Ianto leaned in, brushing his mouth against Jack’s. Jack jolted awake, startling Ianto who froze, his lips just an inch from the other man’s. One shared breath, then Jack lurched forward, his hand sliding around the back of Ianto’s neck to hold him in place as their mouths found each other.

The kiss started off hurried, as if Jack were trying to make the most of this moment before Ianto snatched it away, but when Ianto didn’t pull back, when he let his lips part and kissed Jack every bit as fervently, the lip lock softened and deepened.

Jack pushed off the wall, lowering Ianto to the bed without allowing their lips to part. They pressed together, bodies undulating slowly, moving in sync with the ebb and flow of their kiss. Ianto moaned into Jack’s mouth; it had been so very long since he’d done this, since he’d tasted another person like this, and his eyes stung as emotion overwhelmed him.

As if he’d sensed Ianto’s imminent collapse, Jack eased back, playfully nipping at Ianto’s lips with his teeth, teasing him with tiny flicks of his tongue. Once Ianto got himself back under control, Jack let him guide their kiss, let him roll Jack over onto his back, let him roll his hips languorously against Jack’s until they were both quivering and aching with need.

‘Ianto,’ Jack whispered, his legs hooking over Ianto’s thighs as they moved together.

Their mouths were still joined, lips grazing over swollen lips as they breathed into each other. Ianto shuddered as his orgasm unexpectedly washed over him, a ragged moan preceding Jack’s release just moments later, hot come spilling and mixing between them.

Their kiss tapered off naturally and they re-arranged themselves into a slightly more comfortable position, neither breaking their skin-on-skin contact. ‘Ianto,’ Jack murmured again, caressing Ianto’s cheek with his thumb and gazing into his eyes. ‘I think that you’d be a hard man to forget as well.’

0o0

‘What are you thinking about sitting here all by yourself?’

Jack smiled as warm arms encircled him from behind the squirmed as a cold nose made contact with the exposed back of his neck. Ianto chuckled, low and soft, then kissed the skin behind Jack’s ear.

Jack sighed and leaned back against Ianto’s chest. He’d come up to the rooftop of the Millennium Centre at first light, leaving Ianto in their warm bed.

Their bed.

That was the problem in a nutshell right there. He was starting to think in terms of usand we and ours, starting to think about things he wanted to tell Ianto, to do with Ianto, after all this UNIT stuff was all over, forgetting that once it was over, Ianto would be gone.

‘This will be our last night together,’ he murmured. ‘And you’ll finally be rid of me.’

He felt Ianto’s smile against his neck. ‘Well, you’ve been pretty tough to take, sir.’

The corner of Jack’s mouth quirked up in a half-smile then he tipped his head back for a kiss, Ianto readily capitulating. Last night had changed things between them. Jack was equally thrilled and terrified by the prospect of falling in love again and was nervous that Ianto wouldn’t feel the same.

His heart did a little bump-da-bump of happiness when Ianto pulled away and smiled sweetly at him. He drew in a deep breath and said, ‘I’d really like to see you again.’

Ianto’s smile broadened. ‘You would?’

Jack turned in Ianto’s embrace. ‘Yes, I would, so I’m going to arrange for you to have an apartment, to have a car, a wide variety of stores guaranteed to suck up to you anytime you want to go shopping…’

As he was speaking, the smile faded from Ianto’s face and his arms dropped from Jack’s shoulders. He looked grim as he shoved his hands into his pockets and gave Jack a curt nod. ‘What else?’ he asked, wearily. ‘You going to leave some money by the bed after every visit?’

Knocked off-balance by Ianto’s words, Jack insisted, ‘Ianto, it really wouldn’t be like that.’

Ianto wrapped his arms around his chest, suddenly looking younger than his years. ‘How would it be?’

‘Well, for one thing, it would get you off the streets,’ Jack told him, thinking Ianto would be pleased to be taken care of, to be able to put the last year of his life behind him, but Ianto simply shrugged.

‘That’s just geography.’

Jack huffed in frustration, his previous sense of contentment deflating like a balloon. ‘Well, what do you want me to do? We won’t work if you go back to what you were doing a week ago.’

‘I know,’ Ianto agreed. ‘And I don’t want to. I think I’m finally ready to move on, to take chances again.’ He reached out and gripped Jack’s hand. ‘You gave me the kick in the arse I needed.’

‘You… I won’t let you come back to Torchwood, Ianto,’ Jack said, a frisson of fear spearing through him. ‘It’s too dangerous.’

Ianto frowned. ‘I escaped a Cyberman and Dalek invasion,’ he reminded Jack. ‘I doubt Three could throw anything at me that I couldn’t handle.’

Jack opened his mouth to argue but Ianto hastily continued. ‘But I wasn’t thinking about staying with Torchwood. The memories are… It would be too much, I think. But I won’t be set up in an apartment like your dirty little secret.’

‘You could live at the Hub with me but it’s too close to Torchwood…’

Ianto clicked his tongue in irritation. ‘I don’t want to be a dirty little secret kept buried under the ground either,’ he muttered. ‘You could move. I don’t understand why you have to live underground anyway.’

Jack raised his chin defensively. ‘We’re a secret organization…’

‘I understand why Torchwood is underground,’ Ianto retorted, ‘but why are you? Why do you hide yourself away from the world?’

‘I am Torchwood, Ianto.’

‘No, you’re not. That’s what everyone’s been trying to tell you this week. You’re Jack.’ Sad resignation crept across his face. ‘And until you stop confusing the two, I don’t think we can have a future together.’

0o0

Suzie had her hand on Jack’s office door, intending on pushing it open to confront the other man about the information she’d received last night, when she heard low murmuring within. Thinking she’d caught Ianto and Jack at it, she held back, listening for a safe moment to enter, but was thrown when she heard Jack say, ‘And give my love to Phillip’ then laughed riotously at the unheard response.

She opened the door and poked her head around it just in time to see a startling cheerful Jack hanging up the phone. ‘Suzie!’ he said brightly as he scribbled something on a pad in front of him. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘I wanted to talk to you…’

‘Can it wait?’ he asked, tearing off the page and leaping to his feet. ‘I’m going to be late for the final meeting.’

‘The meeting is connected to what I wanted to discuss,’ she said briskly, watching him don his coat. ‘You are planning on attending today then? For the entire meeting?’

Jack’s hands stilled on his collar then he turned to face her. ‘How did you know I walked out of the meeting yesterday?’

‘Does it matter?’

‘Yes, I think it does.’

‘I was making enquiries,’ she admitted, unrepentant. ‘You were back too early. I warned you about allowing Jones to become a distraction.’

‘This has nothing to do with Ianto. I’ve just…’ He studied her face, not seeming to like what he found. ‘Don’t you ever want a life outside of this? Like Gwen.’

‘Like Gwen?’ she scoffed. ‘No, thanks.’

‘Okay, maybe not like Gwen but… something else, something more.’

‘What more is there? Jack, we’re doing incredible things here-’

‘But if you could still do them and have a life?’

Her blood went cold. ‘You’ve given up. You’re just going to hand this place over to UNIT.’

‘No,’ he said firmly. ‘No, I’m not just going to hand it over.’

‘But you aren’t going to fight it any longer either.’

Jack didn’t answer, simply turning his back on her and saying as he walked away, ‘Ianto will be back a little later, probably before I return, though. He went for a walk.’

Suzie watched until the cog door closed behind him then spun around and, with a shriek of anger and frustration, threw her coffee cup against the brick wall.

0o0

‘Good of you to finally join us, Captain Harkness,’ Colonel Oduya said, his smile oozing sarcasm. ‘Although I think we’d all agree that this meeting is pointless. Harkness has made his position clear but given the support the merger has behind it, I doubt one vote will matter.’

‘Perhaps my position is a little less firm than it was yesterday,’ Jack said with a toothy smile. ‘And that’s not something I’d admit lightly.’ He winked at Colonel Karim who ducked her head to hide her grin.

Jack tugged a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and flung it towards Brigadier James, seated at the head of the long table. ‘I’ll give you my vote under those conditions,’ he announced, watching Captain Magambo pass the list along to James.

Benjamin James perused the list quickly, raising his eyebrow towards the end. He raised his eyes and gave Jack a searching look over the top of his glasses then passed the list to Colonel Oduya.

‘We would be willing to negotiate on several of those points, Captain-’

‘No.’ Jack folded his arms obstinately. ‘It’s non-negotiable. Every single demand on that list is to be agreed upon or you lose my vote.’

There was a loud, derisive snort then Oduya tossed the paper onto the table. ‘We don’t need your vote, Harkness,’ he sneered. ‘You have always had an inflated opinion of your own worth but this is ridiculous. We have more than enough votes to carry this proposal through.’

‘Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart,’ Jack said pleasantly, addressing his old friend who had been quiet to this point. ‘After this vote is cast, how is the proposal ratified?’

Alastair’s mouth curled into a smile. ‘The proposal and results of the vote are sent to The Prime Minister and Her Royal Highness, who will have the final decision.’

‘So, they have the power to override the results of any vote taken?’ Jack asked, feigning surprise as he stood and circled the table.

‘They certainly do, Jack, old boy,’ Alistair said cheerfully.

Oduya scoffed. ‘Do you seriously expect us to believe Her Majesty will simply overturn the decision we’ve made on your say so?’

Jack sauntered up to him, a dangerous smile on his face. ‘Tell me, Colonel, when you speak with Her Majesty, what do you call her?’

Oduya glanced at his commander in confusion then turned back to Jack. ‘I call her what everyone else calls her,’ he said impatiently. ‘Ma’am or Your Highness.’

Really?’ Jack said, feigning surprise. He bent down and whispered in Oduya’s ear, ‘I call her Lizzie.’

Oduya jerked his head back and stood abruptly. ‘This is obscene, sir,’ he said, addressing Brigadier James. ‘Are you really going to allow this panel to be blackmailed by this man?’

‘The Queen casts the deciding vote,’ Jack said, ambling back to his seat, seemingly without a care in the world. ‘This vote is just to show her the lay of the land. She can override any decision made here and my word holds a lot of weight with her.’ He smirked at Oduya as he sprawled in his chair ‘As she told me herself when we spoke earlier this morning.’

‘We understand your position, Captain,’ Brigadier James said, holding up a hand to silence any further debate. ‘May we have some time to discuss your requests? Perhaps we could reassemble at eleven o’clock?’

Jack stood and nodded at the Brigadier. ‘Sounds good to me,’ he chirped, delighted by the glimpse of badly hidden fury he caught darkening Oduya’s face before he turned to leave. ‘See you then.’

0o0

Even after six days of coming and going through the cog door, Ianto still fought the urge to clap his hands over his ears when the sirens went off. Muttering to himself about the futility of the security measure, he bounded up the stairs to the work level then headed for Jack’s office. A quick glance around the main Hub told him that it was deserted. He only had a moment to consider how odd it was that no one had been left behind to mind the phones before he realised he wasn’t as alone as he thought.

Suzie Costello greeted him from Jack’s chair with a sneer and a cocked pistol. ‘Shut the door, Mr. Jones,’ she ordered, gesturing with the muzzle of the gun.

Ianto automatically did as she asked, holding his hands out to the side in submission. ‘What… what’s going on?’

‘You know,’ said Suzie. ‘I was wondering that myself.’ She stood and, with her free hand, picked up a vicious looking knife. ‘Jack has always been a good boss. Friendly, knowledgeable, easily distracted.’

Ianto backed up slowly as Suzie came closer. ‘He isn’t interested in the details as long as you give him the bottom line which suited me just fine. I could get on with my work without having to report every finding back to him.’

She smiled nastily when Ianto’s back hit the wall. ‘I knew he wouldn’t let me spend so much time with the glove if he knew,’ she told him. ‘He’s so short-sighted. He can’t see what this could do for Torchwood, for humanity. To hold the power to bring back the dead…’

‘Suzie, I don’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about. What glove?’

‘Then this idea of merging with UNIT came about and I knew I couldn’t let it happen,’ she went on, ignoring Ianto. ‘They’d want to see the glove, see my research. They would take it from me once they found out what I’d done and I couldn’t allow that to happen.’

Ianto shivered at the maniacal gleam in her eye. ‘What did you do?’ he whispered, terrified of hearing the answer.

‘I needed fresh bodies,’ she told him as if eager for him to understand. ‘I tried it on the bodies in the morgue but they only came back for seconds. I needed people who’d died traumatic deaths…’ Her smile was ghoulish. ‘And there’s nothing more traumatic than murder, right?’

‘You… you…’

‘I listened to the police band but by the time I got there, it was always too late. The bodies had been dead hours and were useless to me.’

Ianto stared at her, horrified. ‘You killed…’

‘I had to!’ she screamed, spit flying out of her mouth. ‘Jack never understood what the glove was capable of, but I did! I knew it, and I can’t let Jack and UNIT take it away from me now.’

She jabbed at him with the knife, Ianto holding his breath as the point came within inches of slicing through his carotid. ‘I don’t know anything about this glove.’

‘But you distracted Jack,’ she snarled. ‘You made him lose focus, made him forget what is important, and now UNIT will take the glove and the glory.’

‘You killed people,’ Ianto whispered, aghast. ‘You murdered them.’

‘I had to.’

Ianto tried to shake his head then stopped when the movement brought his throat in close contact with the knife held in Suzie’s disturbingly steady hand. ‘Jack will never let you get away with this,’ he told her. ‘He’ll turn you in, Suzie. This is over.’

Her eyes narrowed and suddenly, she looked in complete control. ‘If I’m going down anyway,’ she said softly. ‘One more won’t make much of a difference, will it?’

She raised the knife over her head and Ianto clenched his eyes shut tight. He jumped when a gun shot rang out then snapped his eyes open just in time for another bullet to take Suzie down, the woman falling like a puppet with its strings cut.

A tremulous breath left Ianto’s lips then, to his embarrassment, he almost shrieked as a warm body came in contact with his own.

‘It’s me. It’s me, Ianto,’ Jack said urgently, frantically running his hands over Ianto’s throat and chest. ‘Did she hurt you? Ianto?’

Relief made Ianto’s knees weak and he slid down the wall. Jack was here. Jack would look after him.

‘Ianto!’

‘I’m okay,’ he breathed, melting into Jack’s safe arms. ‘I’m alright now.’

0o0

Two hours later, Jack sat down on the couch in his office beside Ianto. ‘Are you doing okay?’ he asked anxiously, eyes roaming over Ianto’s face.

‘Yep,’ Ianto said with a tight smile. He took Jack’s hand in his own, threading their fingers together. ‘Thank you for coming to my rescue.’

Jack dropped a quick kiss on Ianto’s cheek. ‘Anytime, although I hope not to have to again.’

‘Me too,’ Ianto agreed effusively. They sat in silence for a moment then Ianto said, ‘I heard about what happened with UNIT. Martha Jones called while you were talking with Toshiko.’

Jack huffed in amusement. ‘What? Me bluffing UNIT into believing I’m in a stronger position than I really am in order to get some kind of say in how the new amalgamated agency is run because I have no chance of winning the vote?’

Ianto ignored Jack’s sarcasm. ‘It was a good decision.’

Jack let out a sigh that sounded as though it had been waiting to be released for a long, long time. ‘It felt good,’ he agreed.

Ianto brought their foreheads together for a brief moment then tilted his head in order to press their mouths together. Jack’s hand – so big, so safe – cradled Ianto’s face as if he were fragile as they kissed slowly and sweetly.

When they withdrew, Ianto whispered, ‘I’ve got to get going.’

Jack sighed. ‘Yes, I noticed you’re packed. Why are you leaving now instead of tomorrow?’

‘Jack, you made me a really nice offer and a few months ago, I would have jumped at it,’ Ianto said. ‘But now everything is different and you’ve changed that. And you can’t change it back. I want more than you offered.’

‘How much more?’

Ianto smiled joylessly. ‘I want something normal. I want a home without Weevils in the basement and murderous employees roaming the halls. I want to know that, when you leave in the morning for work, you’ll be coming home to me later. I want lazy Sunday mornings and movie nights on the couch and maybe even a dog. And I want it with you.’

‘Impossible,’ Jack murmured, shaking his head. He chuckled wistfully. ‘My special gift is impossible relationships.’

He reached over Ianto to a small side table and opened the drawer, pulling out a stuffed business envelope. He handed it to Ianto who took it, a painful pang in his chest making him wince. This was what it came down to. Payment for services rendered. He took a deep breath, stiffening his flagging resolve.

‘Thank you,’ he said softly, folding the envelope as best he could and stowing it in the knapsack by his feet.

‘You’re welcome. If you ever need anything, you give me a call,’ Jack told him, squeezing his hand.

Ianto nodded then, with great reluctance and regret, gently pulled his hand out of Jack’s grasp. ‘I had a good time,’ he said as he got to his feet.

Jack stood as well. ‘So did I.’ He gestured to the large knapsack and suit bag full of the clothes he’d given Ianto. ‘Do you want me to help you with your stuff?’

Ianto picked up the knapsack. ‘No, thanks,’ he said, slinging the suit bag over his shoulder. ‘I’ve got it.’

Jack followed Ianto through the empty Hub, Toshiko and Owen still at the UNIT hospital arranging for Suzie’s incarceration. As the cog door opened, Jack grabbed Ianto’s arm. ‘Stay. Stay the night with me. And not because I’m paying you, but because you want to.’

The longing in Jack’s eyes nearly made Ianto turn around and agree, nearly made him forget about all his resolutions and just lose himself in Jack for a tiny while longer.

Nearly.

‘I can’t,’ he choked out, blinking rapidly to dispel the stinging in his eyes. ‘Because I’ll never want to leave.’ He leaned in and kissed Jack; an almost chaste press of lips that made Ianto’s heart ache with loss. ‘Good bye, Jack.’

As the cog door rolled shut behind Ianto, Jack’s comm clicked on in his ear. ‘Jack?’ said Toshiko tentatively. ‘Brigadier James just informed us that your requests have been approved. He said you’d know what that meant.’

Jack closed his eyes, regretting that he had no time to just sit and miss Ianto, not even for a minute, before he had to get back to work. ‘Tell him I understand,’ he said, exhaling a long breath before opening his eyes and pulling his mobile from his trouser pocket.

‘Hello, Lizzie…’

0o0

Sid McNally crammed the crust of a day old slice of pizza into his mouth as he lay splayed out on the squeaky single bed, watching Ianto pack. ‘You kissed him on the mouth, didn’t you?’ he said, spraying crumbs all over the bedcover. ‘I told you not to ever kiss on the mouth.’

Ianto rolled his eyes as he tried to fit a toiletry bag into the already over-stuffed suitcase. ‘Well I did and you were right,’ he snapped. ‘Are you going to make yourself useful and help or were you planning on just sitting there commentating?’

‘I got the pounding of my life last night,’ Sid said with a smirk. ‘I won’t be sitting comfortably anywhere for…’

‘Yes, yes, alright,’ Ianto said irritably. ‘Just lay there and keep your ‘I told you so’ to yourself.’

Sid watched in silence while Ianto struggled to zip up the suitcase then asked, ‘Where are you going to go?’

‘I don’t know yet,’ admitted Ianto. ‘I was thinking London. I’ve made some UNIT contacts from there and I think, if I should stay in Cardiff, the temptation to go and see Jack would be too great.’ He hefted the suitcase off the bed and left it beside the front door. ‘All I know for sure is that I don’t want to do this anymore. You should get out too, Sid.’

The other man shrugged a shoulder. ‘Nah, I’m too set in my ways,’ he said. ‘Do you know what you’re going to do wherever it is you end up?’

‘My contacts in UNIT seemed to think I’m experienced enough to work in their Archives or Research departments.’ He sat down beside the reclining man. ‘Maybe study? I used to love school.’

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the envelope Jack had given him. It wasn’t as full as it had been previously, but there was still a substantial amount of cash inside. ‘Here,’ he said, handing it the Sid who, surprised, accepted it.

‘What’s this?’ He peered inside the envelope and his eyes widened. ‘Holy shit, Jones!’ He looked up at Ianto, his struggled showing on his face before he blurted out, ‘Don’t fucking force me to go against my innate nature, Jones, and give this back. Just take it. You earned it.’

He tried to push the money back in Ianto’s hands, but Ianto refused it. ‘It’s yours,’ he said firmly, getting to his feet. ‘Think of it as The Captain Jack Harkness scholarship fund. Pay your rent with it, though, for Christ’s sake. Don’t put it up your nose.’

Ianto smiled and cuffed Sid lightly around the head. ‘You’ve got potential, Sid. Don’t let this be what defines you.’

Sid frowned then swiftly stood, pulling Ianto into a quick, one-armed hug. ‘See you, kid,’ he said gruffly, pulling away. ‘Look after yourself.’

He ducked his head and shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets as he exited the room.

Ianto smiled after him and, as the door swung shut, said quietly, ‘See you, Sid.’

0o0

When Jack first appeared behind her, Toshiko paid him no attention, caught up in the code she was compiling. When he was still there ten minutes later, huffing and sighing and obviously wanting her attention, she gritted her teeth and spun her chair around.

‘Can I help you, Jack?’

He blinked at her, looking as uncertain as she’d ever seen him, and Toshiko couldn’t help but feel for him. Two days had passed since Ianto’s departure and it was clear that Jack missed him. Gwen had returned earlier than expected due to Suzie’s incarceration and had already commented several times on Jack’s uncustomary somberness. She and Owen had teased Jack at first about his melancholy over a man he’d only known a week but, when Jack refused to rise to the bait, they’d realised this wasn’t the same as Jack’s previous flirtations and affairs, that Ianto had been different, and now he was gone, Jack was different.

Less.

Diminished.

And Toshiko didn’t like it. She wanted her Jack back and thought that a little subtle interference, employed at the correct moment, could be forgiven.

And it seemed that moment had finally arrived.

‘I was wondering,’ Jack said, fidgeting distractedly. ‘I need to return these…’ He pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket and Toshiko’s eyes widened as she took it from him.

‘Oh, they’re lovely,’ she said, admiring the gorgeous cufflinks nestled inside. She looked up to see a whimsical expression on Jack’s face. ‘What do you need me to do, Jack?’

He sighed. ‘I need you to return them to Conway’s,’ he told her. ‘I borrowed them for Ianto to wear to the opera and…’ He gave her a crooked smile. ‘They need to go back and I can’t… I don’t have time so I was wondering…?’

‘I can return them for you,’ she said with an understanding smile. She gazed at the cufflinks for a long moment before closing the lid with a snap. ‘It must be hard to let go of something so beautiful, so special.’

She heard Jack’s sharp intake of breath and wondered if she was simply tormenting Jack by reminding him of what he and Ianto had shared then she heard a ragged, ‘Yeah. Yeah, it is.’

Toshiko slipped the box onto the desk next to her keyboard and tapped a few keys. ‘You know, I wasn’t sure if you wanted to retcon Ianto or if we’d need to keep an eye on him for a while to ensure he didn’t talk about his time in the Hub so I took the liberty of checking the CCTV from the day he left and tracking him to his flat.’ She half-turned and peered at Jack from over the top of her spectacles. ‘I noticed that our recent searches made for his place of residence hadn’t yielded any results.’

Jack flushed at being caught out and leaned over her shoulder. ‘I don’t suppose you know if he’s still there?’

‘He rang Cardiff Rail this morning and booked a ticket to London on a train leaving at five o’clock this evening,’ she told him. ‘But he hasn’t left his flat since.’

Jack stared at Ianto’s fuzzy image on the CCTV footage for several seconds longer then grabbed Toshiko and kissed her hard on the lips. ‘Thank you,’ he yelled as he ran up to his office to grab his coat.

He bolted back down the stairs and towards the invisible lift. ‘I’ll be gone until tomorrow,’ he said with a hopeful grin. He activated the lift with his wrist strap and blew a kiss to Toshiko. ‘Remind me to give you a raise, Tosh.’

‘It’s already done,’ she said with a smirk as she went back to her code.

0o0

After Sid left, Ianto called the train station and was annoyed by the lack of available seats on trains headed for London. He organized a ticket on a train leaving late that afternoon then spent the rest of the morning stopping himself from going down to the Plas and begging Jack to let him come back.

He missed him. Already. It had only been two days and he missed Jack so much it was a physical pain. Ianto rubbed at his chest, willing away the hollow ache that appeared to have taken up residence since he stepped out the door of the Tourist Office for the final time.

‘We want different things,’ he reminded himself. ‘He’ll always be Torchwood and I can’t go back to that.’

Ianto decided he may as well clean the flat to try and pass the time and he was elbow deep in the fridge – after uncovering what he was sure was sentient mould – when a loud rapping on the door startled him. His head slammed into the top of the fridge, Ianto cursing under his breath as he tore his rubber gloves off. Rubbing his head, he flung open the door, fully expecting to see one of Sid’s drug-addled friends. But he froze in shock when, instead, he came face to face with Jack Harkness.

‘Jack,’ he breathed, stomach lurching and heart skipping a beat.

‘Will you come with me?’ Jack asked, voice urgent and low. ‘Please?’

Ianto bit his lip, sorely tempted. ‘It’s not a good idea.’

‘It won’t take long,’ Jack insisted, eyes pleading. ‘And then I’ll leave you alone, I promise.’

Unable to resist Jack’s blue eyes, Ianto nodded. ‘I’ve only got a few hours to spare,’ he told Jack as he grabbed his coat off the back of a chair.

Jack simply nodded, stepping aside to let Ianto lead the way down the stairs.

It was a silent trip in the SUV until Ianto noticed they were heading in the direction of the Bay. ‘Jack,’ he said, gazing out his window with a frown. ‘What..?’

‘Trust me,’ Jack asked, casting a quick glance at Ianto before turning his attention back to the road.

Ianto sighed but sat back in his seat without further complaint. He frowned slightly when they bypassed Mermaid Quay, heading instead towards St David’s Hotel and Spa. The car slowed before they reached the turnoff for the hotel, though, stopping outside an expensive looking ten story apartment block.

Confused, Ianto looked at Jack but the other man just smiled and inclined his head towards the building before getting out of the car. Ianto followed, walking around the SUV to stand beside Jack on the curb. ‘Come on,’ said Jack, taking Ianto’s hand. ‘Third floor.’

In a few minutes, Jack was fitting a key inside a lock and pushing open the door of one of the flats. He stood aside and waved Ianto in before him, Ianto cautiously stepping across the threshold.

‘Wow,’ he murmured, heading right for the bank of windows on the far side of the room. He could see the Bay from here and was sure that, from the small balcony outside, the view would be even more spectacular.

He whirled around when he heard the door click shut. ‘What is this? Why are we here?’

‘I know it’s not particularly large but I thought the view would make up for that, and it’s not like we’d be home so much it would matter,’ Jack said as he turned a slow circle in the living area. ‘But the kitchen is modern and there are two bedrooms so we could use one as an office…’

‘Jack.’

‘The bathroom is almost new and the carpets in the bedroom are only a month or two old. We could carpet out here as well, but I like the wooden floors…’

‘Jack!’

Jack sighed and met Ianto’s eye. ‘What you said? About wanting something normal?’

Ianto stepped closer. ‘Wanting a life?’ he reminded Jack.

‘Yeah,’ Jack said, shuffling his feet nervously. ‘Well, I was hoping this…’ He gestured to the room, ‘would be the kind of life you could get used to.’

A wave of anger washed over Ianto. He shot Jack a venomous glare then stalked towards the door. ‘I told you I wasn’t interested in being your pet whore,’ he snarled. ‘Take me home.’

‘Ianto…’

‘Now!’

‘No!’

Ianto spun on his heel and stormed back towards Jack. ‘What?’ he ground out.

‘The merger is going ahead and, after everything settles, I’m stepping down.’

Ianto blinked in surprise. His mouth worked uselessly, his stupefaction making Jack chuckle. ‘Didn’t expect that, huh?’

‘Why… How…?’

‘Everything that’s happened this week – meeting you, Suzie, UNIT – has made me realise that perhaps I need to rethink the way I was doing things,’ Jack said wearily, sinking down onto the couch. He put his head in his hands. ‘I was trying to make the Doctor proud, trying to get Torchwood ready for whatever it was Alex saw coming, but maybe this is exactly what I need to do to achieve that. Help unite the two agencies so we’re all working together?’

Ianto lowered himself to the couch beside Jack. ‘But why are you stepping down?’

Jack looked up. ‘Because this isn’t what I want anymore,’ he said softly. ‘I was made leader of Torchwood by default; I never wanted the position. But as I started to hire people and form my team, I began to feel responsible for their lives. I had to stay to make sure they survived, to watch over them, no matter how much I hated it.’

He rubbed a hand over his face. ‘I kept numbers small because I hated the thought of being responsible for too many people but, as a result, I had to work them harder. I didn’t see it until this week…’ He looked up at Ianto and smiled. ‘It wasn’t until I met you that I realised the effect of living and breathing Torchwood was having on them. And me.’

‘You can’t blame yourself for what Suzie did, Jack,’ Ianto said, covering Jack’s hand with his own.

‘Can’t I?’ Jack asked. ‘She hadn’t had a day off in months. She hadn’t had a holiday in years. She was exhausted and vulnerable and, if she’d been more alert, she would’ve been able to fight the effects of the glove.’

‘And maybe she was just hungry for power?’ Ianto said. ‘Maybe the glove just found something that had been inside her all along?’

‘Regardless, I should have seen it, Ianto.’ Jack exhaled slowly. ‘And how long before the others are in the same position? How long until I am?’ He turned his hand in Ianto’s, pressing their palms together. ‘I don’t want the responsibility anymore. I’ve told Brigadier James that I’ll stay on for six months after the amalgamation is final then I’m going on ‘advisor’ status.’

‘Don’t…’ Ianto struggled to find the words, his mind spinning at Jack’s revelations. ‘Don’t do this for me,’ he said finally.

Jack smiled. He cupped Ianto’s face in his hands. ‘I’m not,’ he whispered, bringing their heads together. ‘I’m doing it for me. I don’t want to be Torchwood anymore. I want to try just being Jack for a while.’

Ianto bit back his own smile. ‘With me?’

Jack brushed his lips against Ianto’s. ‘With you,’ he confirmed. ‘A flat, jobs that allow us to be home more nights than not, maybe even a holiday.’ He moved back, gaze finding Ianto’s. ‘Sound like something you might want?’

Ianto couldn’t hold back his smile any longer. ‘Yes,’ he said, laughing at the expression of relieved delight on Jack’s face as he drew him in for a kiss. ‘Yes, it does.’

Fin.


End file.
